Between the Lines
by Rhiuss
Summary: Mirror, mirror on the wall... They're not the same person, after all...
1. Memories: Blossom

**Disclaimer** _:_ Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Original characters, plot, and other original aspects of this story, belong to me, so please ask before using.

 ** _Memories: Blossom_**

 _"_ Have you seen her, Kakashi-san?"

Hatake Kakashi looked up from the scroll in front of him, and into the curious brown eyes of a teenage delivery boy.

"Uh?" His eyes drifted behind the young man, landing on an empty table in the private library. "I haven't."

Shizune sat up and extended her hand towards the civilian, who accepted the bills without tearing his eyes from Kakashi.

"You really should, Kakashi-san. They're identical."

Kakashi nodded and watched the boy sprint out of the room. Shizune dug into the bag, unbothered by the boy's enthusiastic goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want to share? I swear I won't charge you for taking some."

He closed the scroll in front of him and breathed out. "I'll take my break outside."

The medic nodded. It was starting to get to him. "Sure." And soon he wouldn't be able to hide it.

 _{*1*}_

 _Kakashi left ANBU a bit over a year ago, but Emi seemed to have a hard time letting go of his invaluable assets. She called him in for another favor, the fourth one this year, and being that he favored her above any other Head of Department, the jonin found it hard to just say no._

 _"The Ikeda family throws a party in their hometown of Kaibun village, every year." She opened a scroll in front of her with her signature already marked, but her tired, grey eyes were steady on him. Emi knew the details of the mission statement like every scar in the back of her hand. "It's over the top, quite a sight to see."_

 _Kakashi nodded slowly, still picking at the threads from his bandaged ankle. He knew the head of the Tact Division didn't plan to send him off to a simple garden party for fun, and he waited patiently for Emi to get down to the good stuff._

 _She pulled out a folder from underneath the scroll, and opened it in front of him._

 _"We have a girl named Yuna who is the main entertainer for this party. Every year she needs a partner for her performance."_

 _Kakashi leaned towards the desk and captured the necessary details with just once glance. She looked young, with long black hair, wide blue eyes._

 _"The performance is sexual in nature," she admitted._

 _His eyes shifted to the young girl's mouth. Nice set of lips, rosy, and plumped just the way he liked them._

 _"You would have sex in the middle of a room with about one hundred people. It's a once a year event, and the hosting family never asks the male partner to come back. The pay is double that of most S-Class missions, and the guests tip generously at the end of it."_

 _Kakashi felt disappointed that they only gave a headshot for him to work with, but a pretty face did count for half the experience in these circumstances. His eyes were scanning over her measurements by the time Emi started talking about budget cuts affecting the department, and how they needed all the help they could get making sure they showed their value to the Hokage._

 _32B? A little smaller than he normally liked, but he got the gist._

 _"If this mission goes well, it would put important people more securely in our pocket, and we need as many of them as possible."_

 _It didn't sound any worse than most missions the department usually gave him, and at least these people tipped._

 _"Sure, sure, I'll take it."_

 _It's not like his plans for the weekend were any better._

 _She passed the scroll to him, a rare smile bringing some humanity to her normally stern face. "You don't know how grateful I am, Hatake."_

 _The politics behind it didn't interest him, but Kakashi would do his best to put up a great performance._

 _"No problem, Emi."_

 _{*1*}_

 _A short woman with a slim build, Yuna didn't talk much on their trip to Kaibun. She shared her home cooked meal with him when they stopped for a break, and so he knew she was probably just shy outside her mission persona._

 _It may have been because he entertained this thought for an entire day, that when they got to their hotel room, and she took off her clothes in front of him, the jonin's mouth all but dropped._

 _She smiled, and without breaking from meticulously folding her garment, told him to soak it all in. "This is what you have to work with."_

 _Kakashi quietly dropped the rest of his traveling scrolls on the polished vanity table, marring the expensive piece with his cheap, dirty, assets. If they decided to put up shinobi in such an opulent room every year, he guessed they were used to cleaning up more dirt, and dust then they were normally comfortable with._

 _"Has anyone told you that you have the body of a teenager finally transitioning into the good part of puberty?"_

 _Yuna removed her bra, placing the simple garment over the rest of her clothes. "That joke isn't unique to you." Though most people just left it off at "body of a teenager," so she gave him props for elaborating._

 _Her smile never faded as she continued changing into her comfortable clothes._

 _Yuna pulled her hair up and began brushing some stray locks into position, as she informed her partner about the task they would perform. Kakashi took a note from her leisure approach, and returned to organizing his own things._

 _She spoke openly about her likes and dislikes, naming them off as if she were reading a list of groceries to be picked up. They all came down to three basic things; limit teeth usage, keep bruising to a minimum, or at least down to something that could heal in a week, and keeping his package hairless would keep her from gagging._

 _It took the guesswork out of things, and Kakashi felt somewhat relieved._

 _"I would like to take a look at your member to get an idea of what I'm working with," she added taking a seat on the large bed. "I'm tight and the beginning always hurts. Depending on how big it is, I may bring extra lubricant."_

 _"It may be due to the fact that you're not properly aroused at the time of penetration."_

 _Yuna stopped tucking loose pieces of hair into her bun. It sounded like he accepted her mannerism, but most notable, the man sounded like he knew the subject well._

 _She smiled. "Looks like you'll be better than most of them."_

 _Kakashi turned, satisfied with his arrangement of vanity table. "You can at least expect me to be better than Genma."_

 _Yuna laughed crossing her legs. "I look forward to it, because Genma did a pretty good job."_

 _Kakashi knew all about that performance. Genma bragging about his greatness had been one of the main sparks that led the jonin to consider taking such a mission._

 _"I'm guessing we're sharing the bed?" He queried finally acknowledging the solo sleeping furniture._

 _Yuna lied back, spreading her arms freely over the mattress. "I don't have sex outside of work, so you're safe from my rumored lustfulness if that's what you're worried about."_

 _Kakashi brushed it off, taking the towel he draped earlier on the silk trimmed chaise. "I could go for a practice round after my shower."_

 _Yuna laughed. "We get better tips when their performance is completely new. Some expressions just can't be duplicated."_

 _The jonin shrugged, tucking his hands in his pocket. "If the expert says so."_

 _{*1*}_

 _The performance went smoothly, but Kakashi wouldn't say he would take it up again for fun. He felt a bit nervous seeing the large group of naked bodies positioning themselves into expanding circles around them. Yuna on the other hand, sat comfortably on their small bed and even held his hand to her thigh as if offering some sort of comfort. Truly it hadn't helped much, but once the lights dimmed, and every couple lost themselves in the sea of blissful moans, Yuna made sure to perform brilliantly enough for Kakashi to not care about anything else._

 _It made for a nice memory, and he did learn many new things, but the man enjoyed keeping intimacy behind closed doors, with no audiences._

 _Yuna would be back next year, and considering every partner kept getting better, she actually looked forward to it._

 _The Ikeda family allowed them the full weekend on their hotel, and so after resting, Yuna took her partner out for a day around town._

 _Cobblestone lined hills, and wide open streets made up the traveling network of the charming little village. The sun bore down on the pointed roofs, but large trees with drooping branches, heavy with colorful leaves, shaded the many stores and civilians, in the long roads that made up the center of town._

 _The stores in Kaibun were of higher quality than in most places he visited during missions, and Kakashi felt thankful that none of his acquaintances expected a souvenir upon his return. Yuna on the other hand walked into every other store, and by the end of the afternoon, Kakashi had a feeling she brought him along to help with the bags rather than to show him around the city._

 _She treated him to lunch as a reward, and didn't bat an eye when he chose a rather pricey spot. Not that he found anything less in this town. And just to make sure he knew she didn't care about spending, she asked for the private room._

 _"You know, so you can eat comfortably," she winked motioning to the area covered by his mask._

 _A waitress led the way to a balcony sitting atop a blossoming garden, where they watched a few koi fish swimming, and splashing on a small pond. Yuna munched on the sun baked chips, offering him some when he failed to dig in. She warned him that the food took long, but the jonin felt confident in his ability to wait._

 _He felt curious about something she said the previous night, and decided to keep the mood from going dull by asking. "Is your decision to not have sex outside of work, part of an agreement with Tact?"_

 _Kakashi didn't remember making any such accord during his time in ANBU, but then again, he never became a formal member of that division._

 _"Low self esteem," she answered bluntly. "So I like to use sex only when I have to."_

 _Kakashi knew she could feel his eyes on her, but she still refused to meet his gaze._

 _"I think you're quite attractive."_

 _She smiled. "You remember that joke you made yesterday?"_

 _He nodded._

 _"I heard it for the first time when I came to do this mission. Not something you want to hear at fifteen years of age." Now it didn't bother her, and she built an impressive arsenal of comebacks. But at that time, such words carved a deeper wound than she ever expected. "It made me feel inadequate, as if there was something wrong with the body I presented because it didn't look like the body everyone expected. It didn't help that every time I got naked in front of anyone, the joke would always break the ice."_

 _Kakashi picked up his glass and took a sip of the cool water. Well, he'd definitely think twice before making such a shitty joke again._

 _"And it doesn't make you feel any better that you never had a problem finding a partner for this job, or other such jobs?_

 _She shrugged, finally gifting him with a direct smile. "They're getting paid, and the better they perform the higher the tip. I have no reason to believe that my luck with partners for missions, has anything to do with me."_

 _Kakashi leaned against the braided back of his chair. "Well, I'd definitely do you without any incentive for tips or the likes."_

 _"I don't do pity sex."_

 _"Neither do I."_

 _{*1*}_

 _Maybe she did have a hint of that lustful woman everyone liked to speak about, because with just those simple words she agreed to try an off the books tryst with her mission partner. He delivered a passionate performance, detailed, and made sure to follow the age old saying of "ladies first," the entire ride. He left her with no doubt that monetary compensation didn't fuel his performance, and Yuna had to admit that she regretted not taking him up on his first offer._

 _Kakashi took her expletive filled orgasm as a sign that she understood his earlier remark as nothing but a childish joke. She was beautiful, a fantastic lover, and he wouldn't mind being the one to make her understand that as long as she let him._

 _"Shower?"_

 _Yuna pulled her large shirt to cover her bare bottom as she took as seat on the desk. "My hair takes a long time to wash and set," she declined. "But you can go in first."_

 _Kakashi didn't argue, and nodded as she reached into her bag to look for her mission report. He should probably get to that before Emi yelled at him._

 _The door closed and Yuna sighed before taking out two sheets. She picked a pen from the cup, straightened her back, and began writing Emi's report first._

 ** _Author's Note_** : The first three chapters are really one long chapter broken into three, so I'll be posting them all together before getting into a Friday posting schedule. The story takes place right after the war, but the italics part are about seven years prior. It's not really a flashback, but more of a narration of snippets from Yuna, and Kakashi's time together. The outline is done (22 chapters + epilogue), chapters 1-11 are written, and edited, so I'm pretty confident that I'll be maintaining this schedule.

This story will be pretty fast paced (unlike Stargazers xD), but after the first three chapters, things will move into the present, so there will be no more need for snippets. Also, just like this chapter showed, sexual themes will be imbedded throughout the story. Explicit sexual descriptions (lemons) will also make part of the plot.

Thank you very much for reading!


	2. Memories: Dollhouse

_**Memories: Dollhouse**_

Soft clouds garnished the deep blue skies, sometimes gathering around the quarter moon giving the heavenly being a whimsical spotlight. Lights brimmed from the burgeoning city, the small numbers standing out amongst the vast darkness left by structures yet to be finished. Kakashi felt the warm air tickle the back of his head, and he sighed letting his feet dangle over the edge of the rooftop.

He opened his book and decided to indulge in the storyline during his one break for the night.

"Kakashi-san!"

Bia seemed to be out on patrol, and he lowered his book just a fraction to show her he acknowledged her presence.

"Have you seen her?"

The jonin's cringe remained hidden behind his mask and book. "Not yet." Though at this point, with everyone else bumping into her, he knew his chance would come sooner rather than later.

He felt his heart palpitating loudly.

Bia strolled through the edge of the premises beneath him, her dark purple hair acquiring an eerie sheen under the moonlight. She adjusted her deer mask and turned back to look at Kakashi.

"It's creepy," she added. "The similarities… Just wow."

He nodded. "So I've heard."

She waved, returning to the structured timeframe of her post. "Let me know when you do."

Kakashi lifted the book to his eyes, but the words were a jumbled mess. Twenty five minutes remained of his break before returning to the library, all of which would now be spent trying to calm two weeks worth of rising nerves.

 _{*2*}_

 _After handing in their mission reports, the duo parted on happy terms. They returned to their normal lives, Kakashi getting a list of students for him to be taking in soon, while Yuna decided on how to best use her time off._

 _By the end of the first week, Kakashi showed up at her house admitting that he'd like to hang out if possible. She stood by the balcony door, dumbfounded for a moment, before inviting him in._

 _He found her in the midst of preparing dinner, and Yuna made a mental note of what she would need to adjust the recipe for two. The Tact prodigy hoped he liked spicy food._

 _The walls of her home were a light pink that absorbed the strong hues of setting sun quite nicely. She hung no personal photographs of herself, friends, or her team, but the walls by the kitchen were decorated with landscapes and paintings framed in gold. Everything around him looked dainty and polished, from the supple cushions of her white sofa, to the gleaming marble table by the balcony._

 _The jonin felt uncomfortable to say the least, and he took refuge in the one place that made him feel welcomed, her bookcase._

 _The pungent smell of spices barely made it through the aromatic screen created by the flower bouquets scattered across the living room. Still, it gave him an idea of what region inspired her dish, and he more than looked forward to it._

 _"So, you're a reader?"_

 _Yuna tapped the wooden spoon against the edge of her pot, before placing the lid over the simmering sauce._

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _He smiled kneeling on the carpet to take a thorough look at her collection._

 _"Top half are my favorites," she disclosed, taking a quick peek out of the kitchen. "Bottom half are on my 'to read' list."_

 _She disappeared inside the kitchen by the time the jonin turned to look at her. He stood up, choosing to go through her favorites first. Surely he would learn a thing, or two from browsing through those._

 _Yuna sprinkled some salt over the white rice before covering the pot for the last time. The sound of rustling papers, and boiling sauces filled her home._

 _She leaned against the largest of her counters and sighed._

 _By all definitions, the night had the makings for a lovely evening; a surprise guest, her cooking her best meal, and her house in its best condition. But the only thought running through her mind focused less on how wonderful such a break from the mundane felt, and centered more around her own insecurities._

 _How long would it take him to ask for sex? Would it happen before dinner? Or after, when he noticed the lack of dessert, and used the opportunity to introduce his real motive?_

 _She shrugged taking a light taste from her wooden spoon. Maybe it didn't matter. She could use the distraction. And at least he performed better than most._

 _They discussed some everyday things over dinner, mostly boring topics relating to her cooking and the way she braided her hair at home. All things she learned for specific infiltration missions that she thought worth keeping. Her companion smiled, he knew how to play the piano and speak the Nari dialect from Tea Country. Yuna laughed as he confused the word for 'salt' with the one for 'sea' in a sentence. She hoped that his lack of practice contributed to such an easy mistake, otherwise she didn't trust he did so well during that mission._

 _After failing to impress her with her linguistic skills, Kakashi bravely maneuvered the conversation to the availability of their schedules._

 _"I still have next week to relax before Emi gives me anything," she disclosed, dipping some bread in her green curry._

 _He finished his meal first, and now focused on resting against the back of the chair without breaking such a cute thing. Ah but the flavorful dish had been great, plentiful, and he truly wanted to laze around as if he were home. But that didn't seem like a proper way to impress a woman._

 _"I also have this week to myself."_

 _And just like that, the duo made plans to see each other through the week._

 _They discussed what he liked to eat, and she made a mental note of how to adjust her pre-calculated dinner schedules accordingly. For the most part, his taste didn't clash much with hers, but she would stick to making her best dishes just to be on the safe side._

 _Sometime when the moon sat high, perched against a starry night, they moved to the sofa to discuss books. A sparrow circled outside her window, drawing a pattern familiar to Kakashi, and effectively cutting the blossoming conversation short. He left after asking to borrow her favorite book, and pointing out which one from her 'to read' list she should pick up next._

 _Yuna watched from her balcony as he dashed along the rooftops towards the Hokage's office. Not once did she feel he came seeking any intimacy, and she didn't know the proper feeling to assign to this new concept of her being so wrong._

 _The next day, Yuna found herself pleasantly surprised again when they spent a lovely evening just discussing books, and current events, over a simple dinner of noodles with tomato sauce, and breaded chicken._

 _Sometime that week they did become intimate, but not before she felt reassured that his visits were more rooted in wanting to simply be around her._

 _{*2*}_

 _After meeting his group and promptly failing them, Hatake Kakashi returned to an open schedule. He couldn't even use the little runts as an excuse to decline invitations from his acquaintances to go to bars, and so when the first invitation promptly arrived, the jonin decided to make the best of it._

 _He invited Yuna to come along and watched with obvious excitement as she turned into a babbling pile of nerves. Kakashi observed from the comfort of her bed as her petite figure disappeared inside her extensive closet, the only thing reassuring him that she hadn't fainted, being her occasionally voiced thought; What should she wear? How should she behave in front of his friends?_

 _The jonin enjoyed seeing her nervous banter, but assured her that his friends were harmless, and she should behave the same way she did with him. He didn't have it in him to tease her for long. No matter how cute the sight._

 _"It's not a big deal," he continued, as she emerged with a large amount of shirts draped over her forearm. "And if it becomes too burdensome for you, we can go to a private area and hang out." Just the two of them._

 _Yuna blew some hair out of her face with an exasperated sigh. He always acted so in control of things, and the kunoichi found herself admitting that it effectively served to reassure her. His sweet smile, and naked, toned muscles sitting among her white silk jacquard bedding also seemed like something nice to focus on. He looked like a present, and she would only indulge in unwrapping it if she did good in this little socialization experiment._

 _"I'll try my best to have a good time."_

 _He didn't introduce her as his girlfriend, but the small group got the gist. Lover, special friend, whatever, they welcomed her among them like any old friend. She stuck by spunky lavender haired kunoichi named Anko for most of the night. She guided Yuna through the bar, introducing her to her own extended circle of friends, and expressing her love for the newcomer when she saw her handling hard alcohol so well._

 _"You, me, Suna one of these days. They got the best stuff down there," she slurred in Yuna's ear._

 _Not even halfway through the night, and she already acquired a friendly mission invitation. Not bad._

 _Occasionally she struck up a conversation with weaponsmith of striking height, named Myrr, who enjoyed making limited edition kunai. Yuna even bumped into Genma, but they cleared the air about the fact that she slept with both Kakashi and him, pretty soon. That had been work, this was different. A few shots later, and the awkward run in moved to the back of their hazy minds._

 _The duo remained with the group all night, and Kakashi felt happy to see her fit in with the rest of his buddies so flawlessly. He saw her as natural born social butterfly trapped by the tight clauses of her work environment._

 _The jonin felt joyous to see her break free, and decided that he wanted to take her out more often._

 _{*2*}_

 _Their next date came up as her idea, on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. The rising humidity made Yuna gather her long hair into an inadequate hair tie, and her bun toppled at the back of her head into a messy gathering. Kakashi encouraged her to keep it as the only imperfection in her otherwise splendid attire. She smiled, looked down and nodded, trying to hide a sprouting blush._

 _She spoke about her love of visiting new restaurants, ones that were days or even just weeks old. Those were usually the least busiest times, when the owner and workers could have a conversation with their customers, and get to know them on a personal level._

 _The particular restaurant she brought him to opened just five years ago, and quickly shot up to become a favorite in the community. However, when she walked in, the owner immediately recognized her, and gave them the private room where they could enjoy a nice lunch under some dim lights, while watching the city._

 _Such nice perks were worth the effort, Kakashi decided._

 _"Do you have any ambitions outside ANBU?"_

 _Who knew that in just a couple weeks they would be talking so comfortably about future plans? Kakashi sipped his water and watched her as she gazed out the large window. They both seemed to be enjoying their definition of a breathtaking view._

 _"I like to send money to the orphanage from the village I grew up in. It's been rebuilt, and they can always use donations."_

 _As much as she liked the orphanage here, Yuna thought that Konoha already took great care of their orphans._

 _"Maybe when I finally start looking like an adult and can't get jobs like I used to, I'll volunteer and show kids other options that don't involve becoming a shinobi," she smiled grabbing a piece of baked chips from the basket. "No offense to this profession, because I truly love it, but their exposure to the wide array of jobs in the village is limited, and I would just like to change that."_

 _A noble cause, and Kakashi felt himself enamored with the kindness in her heart._

 _{*2*}_

 _A month went by and stories of their meetings spread through the village. She was more recognizable, even though not for her work, but as Kakashi's girlfriend. Yuna took it in strides, using her newfound fame to ease into conversations with her coworkers, who saw her as the luckiest woman in the village rather than the horny girl who took all the sex jobs. She could also go to stores and enjoy the kindness of people who wanted to know what Kakashi saw in such a young woman to publicly expose her like he's never exposed a girlfriend before._

 _In the end, they all agreed that she was kind, lovely, and Kakashi's actions made sense to them._

 _As they returned from a shopping trip at the local mart, Yuna walked straight into the kitchen, carrying all the bags as if they were no heavier than her tiny purse. Kakashi made his way to the bedroom, where he knew she would join him as soon as she finished with the groceries._

 _Like the rest of her house, the bedroom was fit for a princess. Painted in a soft lilac that followed the sweet theme of the rest of the house, the top of the walls were trimmed with gold swirls to match the accents of her white furniture. Kakashi took a particular liking to the velvet chaise placed by the window, where she liked to drink tea and watch the city during sleepless nights. He craved to have an intimate moment there with her. Of any kind. The jonin liked to entertain the feeling that it would be splendid._

 _Kakashi turned as he felt her chakra near._

 _"I separated the fruits for you to take home," she announced._

 _He moved from the doorway, giving her space to come in._

 _"Thank you."_

 _Yuna cleared her desk, quickly organizing two mission reports into her bag._

 _"I should get ready for tomorrow."_

 _Kakashi walked towards the bed, taking a seat on the edge. "Tact?"_

 _He knew a good 90% of her missions came from Emi, but he still liked to ask._

 _She smiled. "Do they bother you? These type of missions?"_

 _Her companion shook his head. He participated in such missions before, and he knew they were just work. "If our relationship ever interferes with the way you do your job, then you can come to me to discuss it. And if I ever feel insecure, I will be sure to discuss it with you as well."_

 _Yuna felt satisfied with such a mature answer. "Looks like you've earned yourself a night of pleasure."_

 _"Can we just cuddle instead?"_

 _Yuna's brow rose._

 _"You're leaving soon, and if we get started now, I'll want to go for more than one round. I don't want to make you too tired before you leave."_

 _Yuna chuckled removing the holster from the side of her bag._

 _"Sure."_

 _Such a thoughtful man._


	3. Memories: Shatter

_**Memories: Shatter**_

The last of the staff exited the private library at the Hokage's tower in a small group whose conversation about drinking that night could be heard down the hall.

Kakashi found Shizune cleaning up her dinner, and packing the empty containers in the large delivery bag. "You're cleared for the the mission."

He closed the door behind him. "Really?"

She smiled gathering his share of research scrolls. "Yeah, Dr. Kent just dropped off your medical report. You're good to go." The medic would happily finish off the rest of their joint research while he did his mission. There hadn't been much left anyway.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, and diverted his eyes around the floor.

Shizune smiled again. He always found it hard to express happiness, but she knew how to read between his awkward movements.

"Just go pick up the official scroll at the office, I'll take care of things here."

Kakashi nodded. "Thanks a lot, Shizune."

"Sure."

He probably didn't care how tiring, or dangerous, the week long mission would be. The man just needed to get away from town, even if he came back with a missing limb or two. And honestly after witnessing the barrage of questions and comments these past three weeks, she couldn't say she blamed him. She'd be dying to get away too.

 _{*3*}_

 _Another month went by in the blink of an eye, and the village came to accept the couple as a fact. People didn't stare as much, nor did they question the duo when they went about their normal activities._

 _They found their outings a lot more enjoyable then._

 _Yuna became well acquainted with his friends, and they even recognized her when she walked down the streets. Some would stop to chat at times, and once, or twice she ran small missions with them._

 _Their friends served as messengers for the couple when one returned from a mission before the other, and so the duo remained informed on their possible next meeting date. One of these days when she returned from a mission a bit later than expected, she received the news that Kakashi came back from his assignment already, and found himself in the hospital._

 _Yuna picked up some flowers, wore his favorite yellow dress, and did away with any intricate design for her hair._

 _Kakashi didn't expect to see her. He tried his best to remain private about his stay, but the news traveled fast in such a small village. The jonin felt embarrassed to be seen in such a position, but he welcomed her presence nonetheless. She looked radiant on such a gloomy day, and he felt thankful to have her want to comfort him._

 _He briefly explained the taxing effects of his sharingan, and how during missions such as the one he participated in, he needed to take a few days to rest. He'd be fine soon, and wanted to go on a nice date when they got a chance._

 _She agreed, and they spoke about her mission from then on._

 _{*3*}_

 _The next day she visited with another small bouquet. As much as Kakashi appreciated the gesture, he told her not to spend her money. He didn't know how to properly care for them, and her presence alone more than satisfied him._

 _"It's no trouble at all," she smiled, adjusting the pink carnations on a new vase. "There's a new little flower shop that opened up and I'm giving Yuki business with my visits."_

 _The jonin scratched the back of his head. How could he argue with that?_

 _She sat on the edge of the bed. "I got a nice tip from the lady I serviced this mission." Yuna moved closer, letting him rest his hand on her thigh more easily. "She owns a vacation home in Tea Country, and has given me permission to use it for a week during a time of my choosing. I thought the end of the month to be a good time. We can give proper requests with enough time in advance."_

 _He smiled. "I'll put in my request as soon as I get out."_

 _She stood up and bowed towards the window, before the image of the legendary Sannin even made it through the glass._

 _"Yuna-chan!" Jiraya sang. "Are you eighteen yet?"_

 _"I turned eighteen eight years ago, Jiraya-sama."_

 _"Oh so long already?" He walked leisurely across the room. " I regret not coming back more often for visits."_

 _She smiled._

 _"Kakashi, you look terrible."_

 _The jonin did his best to accommodate a formal bow from his spot. "Good afternoon, Jiraya-sama."_

 _"Excuse me, I have a mission report to write."_

 _Yuna picked up her bag and waved goodbye at the duo. They watched her leave, each returning a wave of their own until the door closed and her chakra disappeared._

 _"I'm going to take a wild guess that by the flowers and the way you look at her, she's not just a mission partner concerned for her underling?"_

 _"We're in a relationship of sorts," the jonin replied. "I've been trying to take your advice, to bring more people into my life."_

 _Jiraya felt happy that the secluded young man had finally chosen to take his words to heart. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, across from Kakashi. "I'm not sure she may be the best choice of partner for you," he admitted bluntly._

 _Kakashi's face hid nothing to the veteran man._

 _"Look," Jiraya sighed. "I've known her since she was about twelve, that's when she began exclusive training under ANBU's Tact Division. Do you know why they chose her?"_

 _"I'm not… Sure."_

 _The older man felt sure Kakashi had been too hypnotized by such a pretty face to actually ask more thoroughly about her background. "The divisions of ANBU like to recruit orphaned children because they're easy to train. They visit the orphanage a few times a year and observe the kids from far away in their natural habitat. From there they see bits and pieces of raw talent, and choose accordingly."_

 _Kakashi never thought such a program would exist. He looked at the carnations his lover brought him, unsure if he wanted to hear the rest._

 _But Jiraya thought it a necessary story for him to hear. He continued. "Yuna was no sexual deviant at twelve years of age, but they found her to be adaptable. Her personally molded to the people around her, and she could even mimic accents when she played with the foreign children. She spoke to her peers the way they liked, she spoke to her superiors the way they liked, and she did it seamlessly. This is a trait mostly found in children who have been on the streets very long, it's a survival mechanism, and her talent for it made Yuna a prime candidate for ANBU. It only got better, and by the end of her three years of training, Emi sent her off to her first mission, which got such high praise, that she's been booked for it every year since. The same can be said for every mission she took up after."_

 _Kakashi sighed, and Jiraya joined him._

 _"What I'm trying to say Kakashi, is that people like Yuna, don't easily grow genuine feelings."_

 _The jonin understood, Jiraya's words made perfect sense. Still, he didn't see a reason to distrust her. "The relationship didn't come out of the blue, I pursued her."_

 _Jiraya shrugged. "You could be right, maybe I'm looking too much into things. She could have a well balanced personal life, but I thought it would be best to at least put it out there for you."_

 _Kakashi thanked his senior, and the conversation drifted to much lighter topics._

 _{*3*}_

 _Kakashi couldn't let go of this nagging feeling that stuck with him after his meeting with Jiraya._

 _Could she be after something from him?_

 _But who would put her up to it?_

 _He found it hard to accept, her skills would have to be out of this world to trick him this way._

 _Kakashi left the hospital and met his lover as promised for a night out in town. The summer festival offered a great distraction, and the duo sported matching kimonos along with every other normal couple. They munched on snacks, and by the end of the night, she trusted his assessment that pork dumplings were the best festival food._

 _Kakashi spent the week trying, but ultimately failing, to push his senior's words to the back of his head. From the moment he showed up at her window, he did his best to neglect the little rational voice in his head that reminded him of all the risks brought on by mingling with another ANBU member. Kakashi told himself that his lack of experience making friends made his paranoia grow louder, and repeated the same phrase anytime the thought of dropping it all came up. But Jiraya spoke bluntly, using the same feelings he worked hard to shut down._

 _People who came into ANBU were not normal upon entering, nor would they be normal upon leaving. He was living proof, and he should have known better._

 _The next week he started feeling distant, and took a mission, or two to have an excuse to get away from the village. Away from her._

 _Something about the inviting landscapes that accompanied him on his way to Grass Country, and the quaint little tea shops he saw himself enjoying with Yuna, prompted Kakashi to try one more time to push the doubt out of his mind._

 _They knew each other for months, he told himself, if she wanted to do something, she would have done it by now._

 _But the will to move past his insecurities, and doubt were short lived._

 _One fateful afternoon, after asking Emi for a simple glance at Yuna's file, her favoritism towards the jonin showed when she agreed to let him take part in the forbidden task._

 _S and A ranked jobs made up most of her extensive mission sheet. There were so many, specially classified mission, and such a range. Infiltration and information gathering seemed to be her expertise, and she participated in all sorts. Not only that, but she worked under Root many times before._

 _Doubt crawled back to his mind and he canceled the weekend getaway that she planned weeks ago. He took an S-rank mission, and played the story that it fell on his lap without much wiggle room, from the Hokage himself._

 _He would always remember the first time he lied to her face, and her saddened eyes made him regret ever having that conversation with Jiraya._

 _She understood though, wished him well, and gave him all the food she packed for them to take._

 _{*3*}_

 _Emi had been prepared to have her door blown open the moment she received the news. Kakashi returned from his mission that night, and she figured he heard his first condolences at the gate from the guards._

 _"What happened to her?"_

 _She dug her copper nails through her thinning, black mane. Fucking stress._

 _"It was a regretful mistake," she informed him as gently as her raspy voice would let her. "Completely our fault."_

 _She took a mission on Friday night. Emi thought she requested the week off, but it seemed her plans changed last minute. Yuna said she just needed something to keep her busy, and Emi found a brand new mission for her to do._

 _It didn't seem hard on paper, retrieve a jewel from a group of small time bandits. She'd take some good recruits and between them, they should have easily taken the group out. But the group recently merged and Yuna encountered more people than expected._

 _One of the team members freaked out and ran away, so the fight became a two versus about twenty, ten of which were much better trained than the initial group. Yuna managed to obtain the jewel, and instructed her subordinate to finish the mission. She could take on the group, but her partner, and the rest of them, didn't hold much hope that she made it out._

 _The other girl arrived at the village two nights ago, and the Hokage sent a team after the rogue ninja who escaped. She would be punished and charged with Yuna's death. Another team left to recover Yuna's body, and were on their way back with a confirmed match. She would keep him updated once she received the official autopsy report, and she promised to tell him first about her funeral arrangements._

 _Kakashi felt a numbing sadness as his mind organized a list of reasons his decisions in the last weeks, led to this outcome. Had he just brushed Jiraya's words off, they could have gone to the weekend trip and she wouldn't take such a stupid mission._

 _Yuna died because of his own insecurities._

 _Yuna never gave him any reason to distrust her, but he quickly made a mountain out of a molehill the moment he felt even the slightest hint of insecurity._

 _So what if she worked for Root? So what if she possessed a talent for lying and fitting in? His own nac for killing never raised any suspicions for her._

 _He felt so stupid and guilty, but he could do nothing now._

 _She was dead… And it was his fault, again._


	4. Shadows

_**Shadows**_

"Did you hear? She looks identical Kakashi, identical!"

Kakashi waved at the duo, acknowledging Kotetsu's remarks, while dismissing him, and his partner, with one swift motion of the wrist.

He strolled through the gates of Konoha, a tired, bruised man with little energy to entertain the latest gossip. Yes he heard about her, for weeks now he heard nothing but such comments, and frankly the jonin's hatred for that question reached its peak by the third day, or 400th mention. He didn't remember which one came first.

A woman came to the village and ever since her arrival the jonin endured an endless barrage of question regarding whether he met her yet. Not really, running around as a glorified delivery man for the Hokage who became best friends with every nation post war, managed to keep him pretty busy. And he liked it like that.

Hunting for some woman wouldn't be scratching the surface of his long to do list for a long time. No matter how much everyone said she looked like Yuna.

Honestly he thought they may have been exaggerating, as often people did when they were in a particularly good mood. Specially now that there were so many relationships taking off, and couples flocked every corner of the city, engulfed in their post war romance high. It may have been a nice gesture, to encourage him to go join the masses.

He tried more times than he liked to admit in the past seven years, but no matter what, each relationship felt like he just wanted to get people off his back. He'd gladly start a romance with someone else, the moment he found a woman who wooed him the way Yuna, or anyone before her did.

For now, he'd take another year to self reflect if necessary, and silently judge couples having sex after midnight by the park near his house, from the comfort of his rooftop. Absolutely romantic.

{*4*}

Hara was becoming impatient with her new home. From the moment she walked through the large wooden gates and handed her traveling permit to the two guards with strange yet mesmerizing hairstyles, she heard nothing but comparisons between her, and a woman named Yuna.

A woman named Yuna who died seven years ago.

Not the most flattering comparison, and she discreetly checked her odor to make sure they weren't saying she smelled like death after two days of carriage travel. Nope, lilac scented perfume still radiated from the collar of her purple jacket.

Questions and comments rained down on her like the monsoon every farmer requested during the Spring season. They shared the same colored, and textured hair, even the length looked about the same! Eyebrow shape, rosy lips, defined nose, height, naturally tanned skin. Hara felt confident that on her first beach trip that summer, they would point at the stretch marks covering her ass and say that they looked just like Yuna's as well.

She wanted the word to spread on its own, but no matter how many times she insisted that she only had one younger sister, and that she didn't think technology had advanced enough to clone anyone, it seemed that for every person she satisfied, another group would come looking for answers.

Hara tried looking at it from a positive side, even when the brand of tampon she bought came into question (what were the chances that out of the two options the store carried, her, and Yuna would pick the same one?). She hoped that when her bookstore made its grand debut, her presence would be known well enough that people would at least come in to meet her, and stay for the wonderful selection.

Oh, she really, really, hoped so…

Because if she invested everything she earned only to end up with some weird, cult like fandom following her around, who weren't interested in her books, but only comparing her to dead people, she'd have some serious explaining to do to her family when she went back home broke, and with major psychological issues.

{*4*}

Cloudy skies and windy days didn't make for the best reading environment, but Hara would have to make due with whatever Mother Nature offered as she waited for her appointment time to come. The gray shadow hanging over town didn't seem to disturb the citizens, who enjoyed the rare treat of a warm day late in Autumn. Plenty of childish laughter brightened up the park, and even the unique bell of the ice cream cart harmonized with the joyous atmosphere.

She pulled her legs under her thighs and leaned forward on her elbow, for optimal reading comfort. For a moment she lowered her reading glasses and looked beyond the book, debating whether she carried the money on her to join the small crowd of families treating themselves to some frosted goodness. Hara felt around the inside of her small purse, and her fingers brushed against a decent amount of coins. She found plenty for a small cup, but before she could dream of a strawberry, mango heavenly duo, the civilian felt a pair of eyes on her.

She sighed, removing her glasses, and meeting the eyes head on.

The masked man didn't say anything, and so she chose to go first.

"No, I'm not related to Yuna," she began her overly rehearsed speech. "I've never even met the woman. My mother said that only one of me came out of her, so there goes that theory of a surprise twin that came dramatically after my own birth. Yes the possibility of me having a clone is hilarious, except for the fact we have different colored eyes, so I'm not sure how that honestly works. Anything else I missed?"

"I'm sorry," Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously. "I didn't mean to stare, but…"

She sighed again, closing her book. The bell of the ice cream man rang at a distance, and she kissed her craving goodbye.

"I know, it's uncanny."

Her eyes bore on him with a mixture of fearlessness and sheer boredom. Kakashi wasn't sure if he could place blame on her expression, or the realization that he could count himself as one of **those** people, but his laugh came out with a heavy dose of nervousness attached to it.

"I've just been hearing about you for a few weeks now, and I mostly shrugged it off thinking that they may have been exaggerating… But wow…."

His mumbling explanation earned him a cool nod.

He cleared his throat. Nervous banter in front of a lady was not his thing. He knew better. "I'm sorry." His words were a lot smoother. "My name is Hatake Kakashi."

"Charmed, Hara."

At least she shook his hand.

"Uh…" That nervous laughter made another uninvited appearance. "So, welcome to Konoha, I hear you just moved here."

"Yeah, thanks."

She still didn't look to be over their initial interaction, and the jonin admitted that he failed at nailing his first impression. He failed bad.

Before he could right some wrongs by showing her why the genin generation still considered him cool, the heels of her boots hit the pavement and she gave him a curt bow. "Nice meeting you, but I have an appointment to get to."

Kakashi watched her go, leaving a forgotten response to her goodbye floating in his wandering mind.

He agreed, she looked so much like Yuna. Her hair length, color, and texture were so similar. Her skin color, how smooth it looked. Her body looked a bit more defined, but he probably knew that because of how many time he saw Yuna naked. Still to a total stranger, he could understand how they could even see that as the same.

But their eyes were different. Yuna's were blue, like a clear sky, and imbedded with a softness that he found welcoming. While hers were brown, like unpolished amber, with a fine layer of anger. Not that he could blame her for that, her time in Konoha didn't seem to be going that smoothly.

Either way, the jonin felt the commotion of the past weeks to be inarguably justified.

{*4*}

Kakashi sat in a food cart getting a quick snack after a long morning full of meetings. A few people joined him, and he listened as they conversed with the owner about kids and home life. He sat there quietly, eating his roasted fish, and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.

The jonin made a list of things he needed to get done during his time off later that day. Laundry, groceries, furniture shopping, the likes. He almost finished getting over the fact that he couldn't avoid experiencing the hell of negotiating over toasters, and a television set, when he felt a shiver running down his arm.

Kakashi found it hard to stop thinking about her chakra signature since that day, and maybe the excessive number of times he played the memory through his mind could be counted as the main culprit of his newly developed sensitivity towards her.

She walked towards him, and the jonin felt an exciting fear paralyze him. Hara stopped behind him, just a few feet away, and he swallowed loud enough to drown out the lively chatter around him. He breathed out, doing his best to remain cool.

After a few seconds, Kakashi turned.

She had been looking at the establishment opposite his eating spot, but turned not long after he settled his gaze on her. She looked down, and pointed at him. "Kakashi-san?"

He waved in return. "Just Kakashi," he clarified.

Hara walked towards him, running a bit to close the gap when she saw a horse drawn cart coming closer. "Hey, would it be rude to ask you for directions even though I acknowledge I didn't exactly put much effort into being friendly during our first meeting?"

The jonin chuckled requesting her paper. "Usually people try to kill me during our first meeting," he answered glancing at the piece. "You weren't that bad."

Well, she couldn't argue with that. Being apathetic didn't intentionally kill anyone… At least she didn't think so.

"There are two Opal streets. The one you need to go to is further uptown, about thirteen minutes from here."

Joy, and she wore the perfect inappropriate heels for the occasion. "Just walk straight?" She gestured up the street.

He nodded standing up. "It's on my way home, if you want I can walk you."

Hara turned her head to the other people next to Kakashi, who's chatter quieted down, presumably to listen in on their conversation. They turned back to their normal positions, and she agreed to take on his generous offer.

The novelty of comparing her to this Yuna person wouldn't be wearing off anytime soon, and so Hara did her best to simply ignore the shameless looks.

Her cool persona didn't fool Kakashi, and he could feel her thin, civilian chakra run amok with each set of eyes that landed on her.

"Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?" Maybe a little distraction would help them pass the time.

"Tea Country," she replied easily. "From a village to the south called Nari."

"Ah," the jonin clicked his fingers at the familiar name. "I do a mission there twice a year for the Situ family, I'm sure you've heard of them."

Indeed.

She lifted her eyes to the sunny skies, and squinted. So much warmth from the sun and yet the air around her still felt so cold. "They're very popular, yes."

Hara did away with the side button on the sleeve of her shirt, and began unrolling the white fabric. The slit of her skirt opened too high to do anything about it now, but at least she could keep her arms warm until she got home.

They grew quiet again, but it didn't take long for her frustration to disturb her chakra flow. She started noticing their stares again, and a few whispers rose louder than the melody of everyday chatter.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I apologize if I'm being too intrusive."

Her eyes shifted to him. He greeted her with a smile. At least he managed to distract her for a moment. "But what brings you to our boring little village?"

The entertainment Konoha provided didn't compare to that of Nari's even on his home village's most affluent times. People from here saved up for years to take a week long trip there, and in all honesty, he never met someone from Nari up in these parts.

"You know," Hara chuckled. "You're the first person who's asked me about me as a person, and not me in relations to this Yuna woman."

Sure he may have been just as startled as everyone else when he first met her, but he got over it quicker than anyone else. And here he was, trying to get to know Hara, rather than compare her to Yuna. That's all she wanted. "You can ask anything," she continued. "Really, it makes me that happy."

"I'm sorry about that," he sighed.

He understood her frustration. The first report of this Yuna look alike a came to him a few weeks ago, and if her everyday life consisted of such comments, and questions, Kakashi felt genuine surprise she managed to maintain such a cool exterior.

"But the village is in the midst of reconstruction so there's not much aside from gossip to entertain people. It makes them blow even a small thing out of proportion, and you just so happen to be quite the sight to see."

"That's why I'm happy to be opening up a bookstore. People can talk about the lives of fictional characters rather than the lives of real life people." She shrugged. "Fictional lives are so much more interesting anyway."

Ah so that's why she came to Konoha, to open a bookstore. The jonin did his best to steer his thoughts clear of Yuna, but the unique challenge proved itself a worthy adversary against his self control.

Yuna loved books too.

Up until the destruction of his home, he saved a copy of her favorite in his library and read a chapter or two anytime he felt nostalgic. His new home also contained a copy, and he traveled to another village just to get it.

"I look forward to that bookstore." He forged on trying to see Hara as an individual, and his reward came in the form of a gleaming smile.

"You like books too?" She coated each word with heavy dose of enthusiasm, and he could see her love of reading clearly.

Kakashi focused on that. She may have loved books like Yuna, but she expressed it differently. "I do." He reached for his side pouch and revealed his current favorite.

Hara took it and carefully examined the covers. "Jiraya-sama never thrived in Tea Country," she admitted. "At least not outwardly. We're all closeted pervs down there."

His chuckle held more energy than he expected. At least she spoke honestly. "Well you're free to be an open perv here. We don't judge."

He stopped at the small two story building with a large sign announcing a real estate office, covering the top half.

"Thanks a lot for everything." Her deep bow, surprised her companion. "I really appreciate it."

Kakashi nodded, scratching the back of his head nervously. He never knew the proper way to act in front of such politeness. "Anytime," he smiled.

She waved as she disappeared through the front door, and he watched as she carefully ascended the long steps. He stayed until her heels no longer echoed, and then joined the afternoon crowd that would take him back the opposite direction.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Thank you for reading! And thank you to those who took the time to review, and add this to their favorite/alerts. Really appreciate it :)


	5. Unity

_**Unity**_

"Yuna 2.0!"

Hara appreciated the man's enthusiasm, and the way he even made the hand gestures to make sure she understood she was not Hara, but a copy of someone else. She hoped her forced smile conveyed her utter joy.

"Is Shizune available?"

Genma stepped away from the door inviting her in. "Seriously, it's scary," he laughed.

Hara breathed out as she felt his eyes give her body a quick scan. Her large, polka dotted shirt, and black leggings showed nothing interesting, and he gave up 0.03 seconds after Shizune rounded the corner.

"Genma, out!"

She finally smiled, relieved to see a familiar face. Her fingers softened their death grip on the thin strap of her purse, and Hara felt comfortable enough to let out a tired breath.

"I'm sorry about that."

They both watched Genma stroll through the kitchen, and into the hallway.

Hara shrugged. "I like to pretend that it'll all be worth it."

"It will, it will," Shizune assured, inviting her guest to have a seat. "But it's embarrassing you even have to experience this situation."

The medic knew Hara's family. Not as well as she like to pretend she did, but Tsunade treated her younger sister some years ago, and Shizune got to experience their lifestyle for the month they stayed there. It wasn't enough to include her, or Tsunade in their Winter's Arrival holiday card list, but for that month, she felt like their older daughter. Dreamy experience.

"I hope your family isn't too upset."

Hara retrieved a folder from her purse and extended it to her host. She shook her head. "I don't think word has gotten to them yet," she admitted. "But I hope it dies down a little by the time Alma comes to visit."

"Right…" Shizune scanned through the copies of important documents, satisfied in their order. "Well, then I at least hope that by making you a citizen quickly, your family gets to see that as far as the Hokage is concerned, we will do anything to ensure your comfort as long as you ask."

She waved a dismissive hand. "I'm only asking for this one favor because I need those permits, and contracts as soon as possible. But I plan to distance myself from my family name here, so please, I'm just Hara, ok?"

Shizune nodded tucking the paper work back in the folder. "Yes, Hara."

The duo chatted about Nari, and how Shizune hoped to line up with Genma to vacation around there. Hara always knew her town made for a popular travel destination, and she pointed out a few local spots missed by most tourists that they could enjoy during their time there. She also promised to ask her family if their weekend home would be available during her vacation, and Shizune's eyes widened with gratitude and delight.

Hara stood up first, her small window of leisure time shutting down quicker than she expected.

"Just let me know what days you two agree on."

Shizune nodded enthusiastically opening the door. "Thank you again for offering, I'm thrilled."

"Sure."

The medic smiled and waved as she watched the younger woman descend the stairs. She closed the door once her chakra made it to the second gate outside, and leaned against the wooden frame.

"So, you're gonna tell me about why a stranger gets five years of waiting for citizenship waived," he snapped his fingers for emphasis, "Just like that?"

Shizune smirked at the senbon wielder. His cocky smile always managed to ignite a certain flame in her. "The power of connections," she replied reaching for the hem of her shirt. Shizune pulled it up in one swift motion, and the sight left her companion standing straight, and speechless.

No bra, more power, just the way she liked it.

"And if we play our cards right, we can have a whole week in a luxurious house with a private lake, and servants that don't bat an eye when they have to pick up your condom wrappers."

He accepted her in his arms, slowly feeling around her naked back.

"So you heard nothing, got it?"

Genma pressed his lips against the crook of her neck, and inhaled the aroma of rose scented body wash.

Well, when she asked so nicely.

He bit the skin tenderly, earning a soft giggle.

How could he say no to that?

{*5*}

Kakashi felt the city mourn with him as he made a rare visit to the memorial stone to speak with Yuna. Quietly he withstood the gentle downpour, and even used the tapping of the droplets against the soft earth and leaves, to calm the growing anxiety inside of him.

"I'm sorry."

On the rare occasion that he felt no chakra around him, the jonin liked to visualize her standing near him. Today she wore his favorite yellow sundress, with her hair in a messy bun. Her blue eyes stared at the empty cemetery before them, and she watched the calm scenery as he said his piece.

"I know I apologize every year, but I just don't feel like it's enough."

She would smile, he imagined, that comforting smile that made him feel his worries were something trivial.

"I got you these." The jonin dropped to his knees, and placed the bouquet next to a few others. "They're called Poppies, and Yuki made the bouquet specially for today."

Yuna disappeared before Kakashi could properly visualize her looking at him. It always felt the hardest to look her in the eyes, even as a figment of his imagination. The jonin still felt so burdened with guilt that even the thought of her looking at him, made him break down into a useless mess.

He heard sobbing in the distance, and the civilian chakra that he felt, settled in its position.

A gust of wind rattled the flowers beneath him, and Kakashi decided to take a seat on the available space to keep them from blowing away. He felt the cold water seep through his mask, down his neck, and gather in his hair. It felt refreshing against the overbearing humidity.

The jonin continued to tell her his reason for coming out of the blue. He met a woman named Hara who moved to the village, and they looked so much alike. For weeks people insisted he meet her, but he never thought they could be that accurate.

About two weeks ago, he bumped into this person, and he felt awestruck. He thought he annoyed her, as the entire village seemed to remind her how much they looked alike, but the next time they met, they enjoyed a pleasant chat.

The civilian chakra behind him began moving away, and Kakashi turned for a quick glance to see them to the exit. He squinted through thick curtain of rain, until their chakra, and body disappeared.

"I felt comforted by seeing her," he admitted, picturing his former lover sitting next to him. She would probably look through the flowers and smile. He still liked giving business to that little shop where she brought his flowers from.

"For a moment I felt we returned to that time when we were almost inseparable. Well," he shrugged. "Until she looked up and her eyes were different. Her mannerism didn't feel as warm, and welcoming as yours either."

He counted seeing even the smallest differences in them as his saving grace. Kakashi didn't want them to be too similar. He didn't trust himself to not do something stupid, like seek her out and want to establish a friendship just so he could feel the remnants of a happy time in his life. It would have been disrespectful to both of them.

"Still, I realized that even though I'm still unsure if Jiraya-sama's words were accurate, I'm going to do my best to remember you as the loving person I got to know. That's all you ever showed me."

He sighed letting her image float away with the next unruly gust. Visualizing her so much just made him miss her in the end, but he could never stop himself. The happiness he felt thinking she could hear him, and gathering all his knowledge of her to come up with reasonable ways she would respond, made the moment worth it in his eyes.

Kakashi stood up. "I'm going to buy the book we were planning to read during our vacation," he said. "I'll tell you if it's good during my next visit."

{*5*}

"Hey Yuna, nice job reincarnating into such a hot body!"

Hara pursed her lips, and cursed every deity who wasn't too busy making the world a better place. She didn't turn to look at the obscene gestures the group of men did in reference to her breasts, but Alma didn't think twice about looking… Or grimacing… Or giving them a set of well deserved dirty looks.

"I want to think that they were not referring to you."

Hara rolled her eyes. Why her? Why today? "Apparently I look like some popular woman who died some years ago, and the villagers can't get over it." She did her best to explain as simply as she could, but her words failed to make any impact on her sibling.

Alma's scowl didn't soften, and her brown eyes held the same unamused expression that made strangers believe she held the title of older sister between the two.

"I mean, when I open my bookstore they'll have those lives to entertain them, so really, this is a case of extreme boredom."

Alma turned to give another quick glance at the group, leaving them with one last dirty look for good measure. "Whatever happened to this village?"

Hara didn't know. Like her younger sister, she too felt surprised by the unfriendly welcome, and rude people littering the streets.

"So, how long are you planning to stay?"

Alma gathered her short, chestnut colored hair away from her neck and into a small clip. The humid air made her tresses feel uncomfortable, despite the decent temperatures. "I'm leaving tomorrow to drop off a contract with the Ikeda family up north," she replied, using her large open sweater to fan herself.

"I see."

"They have a son, Hiro, who told dad that he found you quite beautiful."

Hara nodded stretching her arms behind her head. "Let me guess, if I fail here, I should at least get married, and produce some nice heirs for our parents."

It seemed after failing to live up to her "oldest daughter" expectation and taking over the family business, her parents found a decent position for her to at least bring some type of glory to their house.

"And the Ikeda family," her sister added waving a long finger in her face. "But that's not to say mom, or dad want you to fail, we're all really proud of you."

Hara looked up at the taller woman, her face riddled with a characteristic skepticism. "You're all so proud, and yet you're already planning for my failure."

Alma smiled widely. "You're quite impulsive Hara, and as a businessman, dad is basing his decisions on the past experience you've given him."

"And isn't that the family with the father who lived with his mistress?"

Surely they hadn't witnessed enough of her poor decision making skills to think that the only man that would settle for her, would be from **that** kind of family?

"I think his parents got married for political reasons, so yeah," Alma shrugged running her sleeves to her elbow. "That's how those marriages get down. But this guys seems to be interested in you as a person."

Just the fact that he wanted to meet her, and talk to her as an individual, made Hara reconsider her position. Still, she hadn't reached a level of desperation low enough to readily accept such a tempting offer. "Let's continue this after I open my store."

"Of course, everything will work out either way."

Alma breathed in as a chilly wind rustled the warm skin of her neck. The Tea Country native planned to spend a night out eating from food carts, getting drunk with the locals, just like she saw their father during her younger days. Yet the earlier display left a sour taste in her mouth, and she decided she would only be going out for a necessary engagement that night.

They reached her hotel in downtown Konoha, where the budding artists remade their street with vibrant colors, and unconventionally shaped structures. Hara stood in awe for a brief second as she took in all the sleek glass beauty that wrapped around the building as it reflected the dull gray clouds.

Alma cleared her throat, and crossed her long legs. "Whenever you get a chance, give mom, and dad a call. They hoped you liked your gifts."

Hara sighed tucking her hands inside the pockets of her black jeans. "I'm guessing by 'gift' they mean getting the biggest wholesaler in Shimigo interested in doing business with my little store?"

She knew her pretty smile didn't have enough pizzazz to earn her such a lucky break.

Alma laughed rubbing the side of her arm.

"Did they have anything to do with the substantial cut in price I got for the store?"

"That gift belongs to mom," she admitted.

"Alma…"

"Just be grateful," she waved her off. "Opening a business is always difficult at first."

"Not when you have no competition, Alma. I'm like, a legal monopoly, so I'm bound to get this store off the ground, and a second one within a year."

Alma chuckled digging into her purse for the key to her room. Maybe their father was right, and all Hara needed was to open up a business saturated with something she loved, for her to find that leadership spirit that everyone else in their family carried. She was already taking this store so seriously, unlike her previous project. It was cute to witness.

"Then just think of this as mom, and dad helping you to cut a few months from your timeline."

Hara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Sure." Because obviously she couldn't do it with her own skills.

She pulled out a pack of gum with her keys, and extended one to her older sister. "Call them," she reminded Hara. "And give them a heartfelt thanks."

"Will do," she breathed inserting the piece of mint flavor candy between her teeth.

"I'll see you tonight?"

Hara waved a salute, and watched her sister part with a quick wave.

A cool droplet landed on the bridge of her nose, and Hara looked up as the sky morphed into an angrier gray.

 _What does one wear to a bar in this place?_

{*5*}

"Did you meet her yet?"

Kakashi swung the nearly empty bottle in his hand. "I have."

Genma smiled, leaning against the wooden frame of the bar wall. "Did you talk?"

The jonin looked straight ahead through the thin fog of smoke, and watched as a couple celebrates a game of pool by making out on the rim of the table. He wasn't even sure who won by the way they clawed at each other.

"We did."

He bit the stick between his teeth. "Did you find anything interesting about her?"

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head. He didn't want to discuss her plans to open a book store. His circle of friends knew Yuna liked to read, and he didn't need them blowing it up into something bigger than it needed to be.

He moved his eyes to another table where two couples were set against each other in a game.

Genma groaned, frustrated with the silver haired man's lack of cooperation. He spit out the thin piece of wood with enough precision to make it land on the trash can across the room. From his pocket he pulled another stick, and twirled it around his tongue, before setting it between his teeth.

"Well, I found out something interesting about her."

Why couldn't he make this more fun?

It didn't seem to interest Kakashi, but Genma twirled his senbon and continued. "She's from an influential family," he announced proudly. "The girl showed up at my apartment a few days ago, and she's about to become a citizen after only being here like a month and a half."

Kakashi shifted his gaze for the third time as he noticed a congratulatory squeeze to the man's package after a clean round. It seemed lovers surrounded him on a night where he felt a **certain** craving. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come out afterall. He shrugged gently playing with his bottle.

"Good for her."

Genma sucked his teeth. "Really? You don't care even a little for her?"

Kakashi shook his head, already comfortable with the answer. "No, I don't." She may look like Yuna, but she wasn't. "I think it's kind of creepy how everyone insists that I be interested in someone just because she resembled my dead ex lover."

Well, when he put it that way, it did sound creepy. "But you should also think about the fact that maybe the rumors are true, and Yuna reincarnated in Hara. So technically you would just be continuing a relationship with Yuna, not dating a cheap knockoff."

Kakashi sighed.

Between lovers that made it hard to suppress his sexual cravings, and people speaking nonsense who made it impossible to enjoy being even a little tipsy, Kakashi concluded that this had been a huge waste of time.

"Seriously," Genma continued, stepping into Kakashi's field of vision. "You should go talk to her."

He looked so weird in civilian attire, maybe because shinobi rarely wore jeans.

Kakashi looked down at his own plain, black pants. Even in his leisure days, he wouldn't be caught dead in those.

"She's downstairs with her sister. Shizune invited them."

For the first time the jonin centered himself and took a second to explore his surroundings. Indeed he felt her presence downstairs, and like Genma said, right next to Shizune.

"If she really is the reincarnation of Yuna, you could get her attention easily. She's probably dying to talk to you."

"Here." Kakashi gave his bottle to his companion. "I have to go somewhere."

Genma accepted the empty bottle with a proud smile. "Go get your girl, Kakashi!"

The senbon user smiled sheepishly as he stumbled back to the wall. And there Shizune liked to say he didn't know the first thing about romance. Well, he just finished reuniting the biggest couple of the century, and she owed him a blow job.

 _Shit_ …

Maybe he spoke to soon. Kakashi's chakra dropped through a window, and he felt the jonin leap away from the bar.

 _Son of a bitch…_

 ** _Author's Note:_** Thank you for reading! Also thank you to those who took the time to review, and/or add this story to their alerts/favorites. Greatly appreciate it!


	6. Stranger

_**Stranger**_

Kakashi spent the holidays in a marathon of sexual fantasies and orgasms. He found a willing companion who also had no one to celebrate with, and together they took out their lonely frustration on the other. For ten days, the duo made a glorious compilation of lustful adventures performed throughout the city, and spontaneous romantic moments that added a nice flavoring to the otherwise strictly carnal affair. The jonin felt confident admitting that he entered the New Year a recharged man.

After such thorough satisfaction where even hidden cravings managed to be crossed off his list, Kakashi felt a renewed confidence in his ability to handle being single for a few more months.

Shizune greeted him at the lobby of the Hokage's tower with a stern, yet familiar, greeting. "You're late."

Kakashi tucked the book in his back pocket and did a terrible impression of a person who genuinely regretted missing his scheduled meeting. "Sorry, sorry, Shizune-"

"Save it!"

He could see the angry veins already rising at the side of her forehead.

"You're an hour late, and now the Hokage is busy."

"Ahhhh," he scratched the back of his head. An hour already? He thought fifteen minutes, tops.

"Go to the jonin's lounge and wait for me there. I'll get you between ten minutes and two hours."

"Ah." Such a wide timeframe made it clear she intended to use this wasted time as punishment. "Can I just go ho-"

Her face softened, but her words still carried the same brand of irritability as that of anyone who had been awake for too long dealing with an adult toddler.

"If I let you go now, you'll be back in five hours, and you need you to take this mission today."

The jonin nodded. "Sure, sure."

She knew him so well. A five hour nap sounded heavenly on such a cold, rainy day.

"And if I so much as feel you outside of the building for more than ten seconds, Tsunade-sama will hear about this."

Kakashi swallowed. He could think of nothing scarier than being told on the Hokage. He accepted the conditions, and headed down the hall as instructed.

{*6*}

Hara brushed some droplets off the surface of her coat and fixed the loose strands of hair that shifted out place during her sprint to avoid getting soaked. She didn't notice the gray clouds until halfway into her journey, and so the incoming rain ended up being a cold, unwelcomed surprise.

Shizune called her to sign some papers and pick up her new citizenship certificate, but it seemed she made it too early, and would have to wait for the Hokage's assistant to get a moment. Hara settled into the jonin's lounge, taking the furthest seat on the corner sofa. It felt comfortable having such a wide open room to herself.

She unbuttoned her coat and crossed her legs, leisurely sitting back as if she were in her own home.

Sometime during the festive days people started calling her Hara, instead of Yuna, and the Tea Country native felt relived. She still rolled her eyes at the occasional inappropriate comment, and her accent birthed a new legion of eye-roll inducing remarks, but she liked to focus on the diminishing numbers of negative things being hurled her way.

The welcomed shift came just in time too. Hara found herself in the finishing stages of her business opening. The contracts were signed, deposits made, and her interior designer said that by the end of the week, she would be hanging the last chandelier in the upstairs reading room.

Hara opened her bag and shuffled through the large mess of papers. She took out a flier she intended to give Shizune, and her hand hovered just above a folder of resumes. She would be spending the week interviewing and selecting potential candidates. If everything went well, the bags under her eyes would be worth it, and she would be opening her store in less than two weeks.

Her hand shifted to the side, between two folders. She removed the book she carried around these days, and adjusted her glasses.

Well, after taking into account all her hard work, she could use a few minutes to herself. Hara opened the book and moved the bookmark to the side. She promised she would take care of all those resumes later that day.

{*6*}

Kakashi found himself stuck in the bathroom ten minutes passed his calculated time. He went to take an innocent piss, and sometime in the middle of washing his hands, he felt her chakra enter his vicinity. For a moment he felt safe, she probably came to take care of those documents Genma mentioned regarding her citizenship. But to his dismay, she entered the lounge and sat alone in the room.

He looked through the clear crystal of the window behind him, his only escape to the outside world.

Even if he somehow managed to wiggle his way through the small crevice, Shizune's threat rang loudly in his ear. He'd have to go out there, make small talk like a decent human being.

The jonin sighed.

Kakashi hadn't purposely been avoiding her, but he felt an urge to jump to the nearest roof, or visit a random store, every time her chakra entered his radius. Ever since meeting her, he began to notice a certain attraction that he knew wouldn't have blossomed if Yuna and her didn't share so many physical features. He blamed it on his mind and body wanting to relive that fantasy of those years ago, but the jonin made the decision to put a stop to it before it escalated into something he'd regret.

No amount of loneliness was worth venturing into such a strange territory.

Still, he also knew that her physical resemblance to his former lover counted as the main reason he even bothered entertaining this anxiety. Had it not been for their similarities, she would just be another civilian, whom he swore to protect and occasionally interact with.

His fingers wrapped around the metal shaft of the door.

He took the easy way out by running away whenever he felt her. They lived in the same village, and if he took the position of Hokage, she would be a citizen in the country that he led.

Kakashi breathed in, and out, in one fluid motion.

It seemed like more work, but coming to terms with the fact that now they shared a hometown would probably lead to better future results. It would hurt at first, and maybe he would end up having to relieve the mixed feelings and frustrations brought on by her on some random bar person every week, but the discomfort would come to an eventual end.

The door creaked open as he pulled it away from the wall frame.

He could just say hello, take part in some small talk, and do his best to see any other features that would distinguish her from Yuna. Ah, he could look her in the eyes. He found that to be a focal point that differentiated them, their eyes.

His own pep talk failed to make a major impact, but with another set of breathing exercises, Kakashi managed to step out the door.

Hara immersed herself in a book, and by the dull colored covering, he could tell the selection would not receive approving looks from the general public. He understood, he'd been there some years ago. The jonin held back a laugh as he watched her so enthralled in her activity. She didn't even look up.

Kakashi strolled to a nearby seat. He heard her turn the page, and their eyes finally met.

The light from the room bounced off the gold frame as Hara lowered her glasses. She greeted him with a quick wave. "Fancy meeting you here."

He took a seat. "Well this is the jonin's lounge," he pointed out. "And I am a jonin."

"Ah," she nodded, returning her gaze to the book.

It didn't look like he would have to fight so hard to make this a short conversation, but Kakashi felt curious. Did their earlier conversation inspire her to read Icha Icha, or had she gone on her own route?

"You know, no one is going to judge you if you walk around without a cover."

She finished the page before answering. "The fact that I'm even walking on the street with this is pretty daring."

Kakashi chuckled retrieving his own naked copy.

"In my country, we don't pull these out until everyone's gone to bed for the night. We don't even turn on our lights, just read under the covers with a flashlight, or under the moonlight, if you're feeling brave."

He leaned back against the green cushion, the level of amusement he felt clearly displayed beyond the mask. "Is that the reason for your farsightedness?"

Hara smiled sheepishly. "That's just a myth." She closed the book over her thumb. "But if it were true, I'd be blind by now."

And that's as close as she would get to admitting how far she'd go for a good smut story.

Kakashi laughed. He felt glad to have given himself that pep talk earlier. "I'm guessing you'll have a nicely stocked section in your bookstore."

She leaned back comfortably and stretched her legs. "Oh yeah," she said. "And you're more than welcomed to join me in exploring it anytime."

"I'll be there."

He hadn't meant to agree so quickly, but his mouth took the liberty of expressing his feelings before his brain got a chance to properly sort through them. He came here trying to **avoid** conversation, and yet he just agreed to explore an entire book section with the woman.

"Can't wait, the-"

The door opened and Shizune walked in dropping apologies to the foreign woman without even taking a glance at the jonin. As if he didn't get there first.

"I just need you to sign here, and you keep the folder."

Hara did as told, and returned the paper to Shizune. "Thank you Shizune-san, I really appreciate it."

The Hokage's assistant waved her off as if her rattling nerves didn't sound obvious enough. "It's nothing. And I see you already met one of the jonin whose sole duty is to protect citizens such as yourself."

Kakashi waved from his seat, and Shizune's gaze could have strangled him. This was the moment to stand up, and politely play along with her.

"Ah." Hara waved the book in front of Shizune. "He already started protecting me from the dreaded boredom monster. Thanks a lot, jonin-san."

Shizune laughed nervously, but Kakashi could feel the murderous intent lurking in her chakra. He'd definitely get an earful.

"Anyway, I'll see you guys around. Gotta finish some paperwork and what not."

"Sure, sure, enjoy your weekend."

The door closed.

"I leave her here for ten minutes and you perverse her?"

"I did not," the male defended himself. "She's a bigger pervert than I am."

Her steps were slow, deliberate. If she got her hand on his muscly little throat, she'd make him remember who she trained under for all these years.

"She wears reading glasses because she likes to read smut in the dark!"

Shizune groaned. She always found it hard to reason with this man, and she didn't have the time, or patience to start trying today. "I swear what I can do to you isn't even half of what her sister can. So watch it!"

He resisted the urge to shrug. Really, civilians could barely scratch him.

"Can I see the Hokage now?"

"Another hour," she replied rubbing her temples. "I need coffee."

The door frame vibrated as she slammed it shut, and Kakashi returned to the book sitting on his lap. Ah, he was glad he came out of the bathroom.

{*6*}

Saturday afternoon finally brought the sun out of its week long hiding place behind the gray clouds. It glistened with a stunning vibrancy, bouncing off the busy market stalls, and coating the large crowd with a welcomed warmth on such a cool winter day.

The exposure to the sun after so many gloomy days left the citizens of Konoha looking quite cheerful. Laughter rang loudly through the chatter, and every group in front of Hara seemed to have their arms linked as they walked. Even the coats worn by civilians, and the winter accessories decorating shinobi attire, looked rather cheerful in color.

Hara sighed, digging her face deeper into the warmth of her knit scarf.

Though the Yuna comparisons died down, making friends still seemed like an impossible task for her. Even her sister was too busy traveling and being a successful heir to be, to entertain her and her desire to talk to another human being. She resorted to daydreaming up a girlfriend or two, when her first plan to talk to the stray cat near her apartment failed miserably.

Hara felt a hand on her shoulder and turned ready to fire the usual explanation regarding her identity.

Shizune smiled, and Hara felt happy to hold the words at the back of her throat.

"How's life as a citizen?"

"I've actually been consumed with work," she laughed relaxing her shoulders. Shizune retrieved her hand, and Hara could already feel the relaxing benefits of talking to another adult. "I do hope to enjoy the perks soon."

"Ah, nervous about the big opening?"

Hara nodded. "It seems so close now."

Shizune held her paper grocery bag tighter to her chest. "I'm looking forward to buying some new reading material."

Ordering her prefereed literature by mail and then disguising the pickup as a mission became exhausting after a while, and once Tsunade sobered up and realized the real papers her signature ended up in, that would be the end of Shizune's little stint. At least buying locally, she could use a transformation jutsu, or hire cheap genin level labor. Kids loved picking up "mysterious" packages anyways.

"What kind of books do you like to read?"

The glint in her eyes made Shizune blush. The younger woman looked so excited, and if anyone would understand her deep love of hospital dramas, it would probably be Hara.

"I like drama, and romance," she returned the affectionate smile. "If you're not busy right now, we can grab some lunch and discuss books."

Hara felt her heart palpitations go crazy. Finally a real human to hang out with!

The moment it took her to calm herself enough to answer like a mature adult and not the giggling seven year old who just made a new friend, ended up costing the civilian the chance to even voice her agreement.

At the end of the market, where the smell of dried fruits and freshly picked flowers dominated the streets, a woman turned from one of the stalls and quickly approached the duo. Her wild, purple hair, and dull colored eyes, were stand out features for Hara, but that mixture of curiosity, awe, and a pinch of disgust, truly silenced the civilian before the woman even spoke.

Another Yuna comparison waiting to happen.

Shizune stepped in before the newcomer said anything.

"Anko, this is Hara."

But the kunoichi didn't seem interested. She twirled the dango stick in her mouth and turned to Shizune.

"I need help with something."

"Oh?" The medic laughed nervously. "We were just about to grab lunch. You can come along and I can help you after."

Anko's eyes landed on Hara, who took a moment from staring at a large, white cloud covering the sun, to meet her gaze. Two could play the unimpressed staring game.

"I kind of need you now. It's about a classified mission."

"I see." Shizune knew it wasn't. Anko just returned from a week long vacation, and the kunoichi would not be eligible to take anything for a few more days. But the Hokage's assistance already felt the vibe spread amongst the three, and there would be no salvaging such an awkward encounter. At least if she pretended that Anko actually needed her, she could tie it in when she inevitably apologized for her rude behavior later on.

"I'm sorry, Hara."

She waved the older woman off. "Another time, don't worry about it."

"It'll be my treat," she promised, being pulled away by her new companion.

She put forth her best smile and waved them off as they disappeared into the rooftops of the nearby homes.

Hara joined the bustling crowd again, falling behind one of the many group of friends enjoying a Saturday outing. She tucked her hands inside her long, purple coat, and focused on the drifting clouds to calm her rising disappointment.

It seemed that just when she thought this ordeal would be put behind her, someone always popped up and put her in her place.

Another Saturday looking at paperwork and dreadful afternoon television. Fantastic.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Double update cus I can xD Thank you for reading!


	7. Before Hours

_**Before Hours**_

Kakashi waited two hours to get a mission by Tsunade asking him to deliver an "important" scroll to a bookstore in a nearby village. It didn't look like a business front for any government agency, there were no shinobi hiding anywhere expected, and the store owner winked and gave him a knowing look when she approached him with the package to be brought back. By the end of the short trip the jonin organized a grand theory that someone just used him to get a personal chore done, and was abusing their employee discount to make sure it would get done properly.

 _Oh, I'll get you for this, Shizune._

The start of the week didn't flow to his liking, but Kakashi at least felt relieved that he managed to return just in time to accept another mission. Fairly easy to do, beneath his preferred pay (by a considerable amount), and not something he would willingly do even during his genin years.

However, the location tempted him enough to grab the advertisement from the board before any teacher could use this as the "perfect" mission for their precious little students. Genin, and probably anyone but him, would not appreciate getting to spend some time at a bookstore, with an acquaintance that held the potential to be a bigger pervert, and book lover than him.

He kept the mission request over the weekend while he did his scroll delivery assignment. At time Kakashi felt strong enough to be near Hara, that his mind could wrangle enough topics to genuinely have a conversation with her even if she were a regular, non Yuna look alike, civilian.

Then, some moments would crawl into his mind and change his brain's imagery of what another conversation with her would be like. She'd be wearing a flowered skirt with buttoned down white shirt, and her hair braided to the side. Her eyes softened into a welcoming blue, drift to the scenery outside the window, and a loving smile would brighten her features. At that moment he would feel weak again, and a debate would ensue on whether he should put the request back in the public mission board, or actually go through with it.

That Monday, after returning to the village, Kakashi decided that he would go. In theory he knew he was being stupid by willingly treading such a dangerous line. He also knew his weekend hadn't been shitty enough to justify sabotaging his self control by indulging in what he hoped would be a fantastic chat about smutty books, when he still didn't have full control of his emotions after she left his presence.

But he liked the few minutes they spent together at the jonin's lounge, and on their walk towards her real estate agent before that. Kakashi saw and individual then, and he hoped that today's visit would add more traits that would help him see her as a separate person, while enjoying some time in a bookstore all to himself.

That thought carried him over to the dark blue door with gold lettering on the crystal top half.

Maybe he'd regret it later.

Kakashi pulled at the brass lever with surprising ease, and opened the door. A small bell chimed and she lowered her glasses as she looked up from the paperwork scattered across the large counter.

"Hey there fellow citizen."

"Yo."

She straightened, removing her glasses altogether. "I thought you'd be coming after the store opened," she said. "I haven't filled the shelves yet."

And her adult section wouldn't be coming until Wednesday night.

Kakashi unfolded the paper and held it up to her. She squinted, recognizing the general outline.

Hara laughed. "I made it a D class because I can't afford to pay a jonin."

Kakashi folded the paper and tucked it in his back pocket again. "I could use some good karma," he smiled. "So I'll count this in as my charity."

Hara laughed. She shrugged and adjusted her oversized knit sweater. "Whatever gets the job done then."

Her companion set in motions the signs that led to four shadow clones. Two upstairs and two on the main floor seemed like a good idea.

The smoke cleared, and each new Kakashi waved joyfully at the stunned civilian. Simple tricks always got em.

"Woah."

He flicked the side of his nose proudly. Civilians were so cute.

"Can you use them for anything?" She asked, her eyes following the four as they strolled to their position.

"For the most part, yes."

She rested her elbow on the wooden counter, and tapped a finger against her chin. "Even during sex?"

His eyes widened. Huh, just when he thought he'd be doing the surprises. "You're a pervert."

"I'm just asking," she laughed. "Cus if you _**can**_ use them for that, then why hasn't anyone included it in all the shinobi novels I've read? It would have made some stories go from decent to mind blowing."

There would be no more debating, she easily surpassed him in the perversion scale. Really, who saw such a neat jutsu and immediately thought about its sexual potential?

Still, he tilted his head and gazed at the sunlight towers growing on the floor. She may have been on to something there… Icha Icha would have been unstoppable with a little shadow clone action.

"That closet where you hide this perverted side of yours must be huge."

And he meant that as the ultimate compliment.

The civilian smiled, adjusting her glasses. "Oh, fellow citizen, I've barely just opened the door," she sighed watching the clones get to work.

Kakashi nodded, a childish smile sprouting behind the mask. There it was, that simple thing that set her apart from Yuna, and everyone else for that matter. It wasn't everyday he felt this sure he made the right choice while dealing with emotional dilemmas.

{*7*}

"Yo."

Hara waved, leaning against the counter. She studied his reading selection for a brief second before the jonin turned to head to his claimed window sill.

"I read that one."

A science fiction thriller about a town sharing a space with a humanoid species whose main form of nutrition involved eating other humans. The plot sounded intriguing enough, and the cover art glistened with intricate details over a white haired savior.

Kakashi lowered his book and turned back to the front desk. "And?"

She smiled. Based on their conversation from Monday, she already decided that their taste in literature rode along the same wavelength, even outside their shared love of smut. And so she felt comfortable in her reply. "It will continue sucking as much as you think it sucks now."

The disappointment read clearly over his dark mask. "You give it no hope? Not even a little?"

They discussed a few reads after she finished fawning over his clone's speedy work that past Monday, and got a few more hours to review two books the past four days after she finished introducing her new hires to the store. Kakashi felt quite confident in taking her analysis to heart, after all, even when they happened to disagree, it led to longer discussions on points the other failed to consider. The jonin felt energized going home these past five days, and welcomed this rainy Wednesday afternoon hoping there were more days like those to come.

"Look," she sighed sitting back on her stool. "Even the sequel doesn't address the missing details. The author actually relies on the reader to just accept this world and the conflicts between fractions, without providing enough details about the history of the supposed bad guys. It's a mess," she concluded.

He sighed. Well, two whole days wasted. "And I had such high hopes too."

Hara shrugged. "Same. It's terrible when such a unique idea with so much potential isn't executed properly. No one can ever remake it without being called a copycat."

Kakashi leaned against the counter, watching as she dug through the paperwork stacked under her desk. "I like to think about ways they could have been made better, if the plot is particularly memorable," he admitted.

Hara rose, a curious smile hidden behind a book. "Have you ever thought about writing this alternative version down?"

He examined the dark cover, and he felt the seed of curiosity planted as his eyes landed on the young protagonist with the eyepatch over her right eye. "I don't think I have the patience for that," came the delayed reply. He accepted the book and flipped through the pages. "Have you?"

She laughed. "No, I'm a reader not a writer."

They were silent as he read the summary in the back. Kakashi nodded and returned to the front image.

"I just started it a few days ago, and so far it's pretty good."

An opportunity to discuss brand new material? "I'll go find a copy."

Hara remained by the counter, organizing some papers, and drafting up work schedules based on the predicted needs her back office people came up with. Her eyes drifted to his direction every once in a while, and she caught herself smiling more than once.

The civilian felt happy to see the masked jonin again. Shizune and him had been the nicest people she encountered, but at least with Kakashi she didn't have any worries about him befriending her for her family name. Adding to that was the fact that their conversations always drifted back to books, and Hara felt a genuine happiness having him over that day.

But it was a lovely conversation she held yesterday with the young cook from the ramen place that sparked her joy into a little something more. Hara decided to try the spot after a brief recommendation from her companion, and as soon as she mentioned his name, Ayame embarked in a compliment filled monologue dedicated to the jonin. She left an hour later, sure of two things: these people made the best ramen she ever tasted, and her fleeting theory that the mask hid a handsome little face had been more than correct.

Kakashi waved the book as he made his way back to his preferred window sill.

She returned a smile as naturally as her giddy brain would allow.

Mystery games with a handsome man were the stuff good romance novels were made of.

{*7*}

Hara flexed her hands inside her leather gloves before shoving them back inside the pockets of her black peacoat. Her body continued to struggle to accommodate the Konoha winter, and oftentimes she found herself having to reassure her mind that she dressed properly for the weather by touching whatever part of her body went numb at the moment. That Monday the only reason she felt her legs, was because she was using them to walk.

Her fingers crammed against an impossible amount of tissues, which also shared a tiny space with some coins, keys, and a pink lipstick.

The civilian let her mind wander as she played around with her keys, when a familiar kunoichi approached her.

Shizune greeted her with an enthusiastic smile, and Hara retrieved her hand to give her companion a quick wave.

How she could walk around with a simple kimono and open toed shoes mesmerized Hara. The younger woman shivered and chose to save the awestruck feelings brought on by the moment, for another time. Shizune continued speaking and she needed to pay attention.

"...So you see, Anko can just be a little off putting at first, but she's really harmless."

She smiled raising her eyes up to the sunny skies. "No worries, Shizune. I hadn't even thought about that since that day.

A small flurry descended from a snow covered tree landing on Hara's reddened cheeks.

Shizune sighed, relieved that this incident hadn't hurt her chances of vacationing in the other's woman's weekend home. "That's good to hear. And listen, I'm having a little housewarming for my new apartment, so I think you guys can really hit it off there."

Hara sniffled. That Anko girl hadn't left her with much desire to start anything beyond an accord to be civil around each other, but maybe a few fruity drinks laced with hard alcohol could change that. "Sure, what day?"

Shizune pulled out a notepad from her satchel, and rummaged around for a pen. "It's on Friday, around eight, or nine?"

She found a pen and Hara smiled watching her expertly avoid the incoming traffic while writing her notes. These shinobi people were definitely something else.

"Make that ten," she grinned handing her companion the piece of paper. "It's a Friday, people are coming back from long missions, and yeah…"

She always found it hard to explain to a civilian, but shinobi just had a hard time getting to non compensated functions. If she told them at eight, she knew for sure her house would have a decent amount at least two hours later.

Her eyes scanned the address, and Hara would probably ask Kakashi for directions later that day. "Sounds like fun."

She could use a good drink after having to push her opening day to this week, due to a snow storm delaying an important shipment. Plus, this could be her big opportunity to finally make some friends.

"Great!"

They parted ways, and Hara watched for a few seconds as Shizune took the path towards the elevated road that led to the Hokage's office. She continued straight, returning her gaze to the crowded morning street, just in time to avoid a passerby headed straight for her.

{*7*}

Hara opened the door to the store and left it open as she went in. A few seconds later she heard it close, just as she touched the latch of the wooden counter.

Kakashi dropped a plastic bag by the thinning pile of folders and quietly went to his spot.

He became a regular at her shop before it even opened, coming in early in the morning and leaving with her when the sun set. He would sit in by the window while she finished up her work, occasionally raising a question or two to brighten up the comfortable silence.

At times she would join him there, pushing him from the corner as she liked leaning against the glass when she read. She claimed the same spot when they ate, and again when she just wanted to talk because everything else failed to keep her busy.

Kakashi didn't mind, her feet barely reached him, but they were close enough that he could flicker her toes when he would ask her a question and she would choose to finish whatever passage she was reading before answering him. The first time it got him a book thrown in his face, but ever since he started buying her peanuts (for whatever reason, she loved the the stuff) she would just attempt to swat him away. It never worked, and now he just did it for the hell of it when he felt the urge.

"Can you get a clone to get breakfast today?" She removed her coat to reveal another knit sweater and maroon colored pants. "I ran into Shizune and forgot it was my turn to get it."

The jonin nodded and she didn't even look up as the door opened and closed.

He had an idea of what she liked to eat already, and on his second visit, she gave him the freedom to choose for her since he knew Konoha cuisine better than she did.

Hara pulled the can of peanuts out of the bag her guest so generously brought for her.

"Are you busy Friday?"

Kakashi turned the page. "A friend is having a get together at her new apartment."

Hara grabbed a nearby stool. "Shizune?" She sat and watched him nod.

"You need anything?"

"Company." Her laugh flowed through the tall shelves. "I'm hoping to go make friends, but need to have at least one familiar face to run to when I inevitably fail at being social."

Kakashi chuckled and returned his gaze to the pages of his book. She seemed pretty social to him, but then of course, they were the same brand of perverts. Well, she was a bigger one. "I didn't know you wanted to make friends so badly."

He wouldn't have been turning down invitations to the bar by his buddies if she voiced her desires earlier…Actually he still would. As much as he felt comfortable seeing her as Hara, Kakashi knew his friends would still see her as the second coming of Yuna.

"As much as I love your company, I kind of need some girlfriends in my life."

Her honesty seemed to nurture his desire to laugh. "Yeah?"

"Of course. I need someone to discuss String Theory, the meaning of life, and where to get a certain brand of feminine hygiene products." Really, how did a place with kunoichi doing such strenuous jobs be lacking in the tampon variety department?

Kakashi laughed again.

"I can't help with any of those."

"Exactly." She put a handful of nuts in her mouth.

"But I'll be there on Friday," he assured.

"Good."

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Thank you for reading! Thank you to those who reviewed, or added this to their favorites/alerts.

closetpervert: Love the name. There are 15 chapters to go, the lemons will come in due time :)


	8. Spark

_**Spark**_

Hara didn't do as terrible of a job as she thought she would during her time at the get together. Maybe the copious amounts of fruity drinks garnished with just the right level of hard alcohol allowed so many people to act much friendlier. Or it could have been that the little black dress she wore, outlined her interesting personality in ways her normally baggy clothes could not. Whatever the reason, she found herself enjoying the atmosphere much more than expected.

The civilian stuck with beer and sodas to keep from making a fool out of herself, and the strategy worked fine. Ari took the most embarrassing moment title by throwing up in the living room, smack in the middle of a brand new carpet. The house had been christened, everyone cheered, and they stood loosely recreating the event around the carpet as Genma cleaned it up.

Hara went to the guest bedroom which Kakashi chose as his not so secret hiding place. She sighed closing the door behind her, and her heels echoed in the empty room as she made her way across.

He didn't even look up from his book, as the jonin kept track of her chakra since they arrived an hour ago.

She had an idea as to why he would choose a book over actually going in there to socialize. He just came for the free booze, and to reset his hang out rejection meter. The civilian also liked to think he wanted to keep her company, but she planned to explore that thought some other time.

Hara sat on the window ledge, using his stretched out legs to support her lower back.

He turned the page. "Any luck?"

She smiled at him. "I got to make small talk with a few groups, but the conversation always shifted to shinobi business." Hara crossed her legs at the ankle, mimicking her partner. Giving her heels a break felt amazing. "For some reason I thought speaking to them would be as easy as it had been with you."

But then maybe she needed to blame herself for thinking that everyone would be as interested in books as they were.

Kakashi lowered his reading material, spreading the pages where he left off on his chest. "I think you're the first person to deem speaking to me an easy task."

She laughed, her eyes landing confidently on his. "Once you get over the mask, you're not that intimidating."

"Well, time to draw some scary design on it then."

Hara smile, shifting her eyes to the flower shaped lamps in the ceiling. "What do you have there?"

She still hadn't finished the book they were reading, but it seemed the man absorbed stories much faster than she could. The civilian wondered if his speed had anything to do with using clones, but she'd put a little more effort into keeping up with him once her store was running smoothly.

"A shinobi romance, with a good side of smut" came the simple reply.

"Is it one of those where one of them is doing a sex mission and they fall for their target, but then it all goes to hell once the target finds out?"

He nodded, a smile rising through the mask. "They all pretty much come down to that basic story, huh?"

Kakashi hoped she had a recommendation that steered from such a mundane plot. She seemed to be gifted in the art of endorsement.

Hara sat up, and found comfort leaning against his knees. "Is there such a department in every shinobi village? You know, the ones that send you over to have sex for money, or information?"

"Hmm…" He did his best to distract himself from such a close proximity. There was a reason he chose to safely retreat to the room after they arrived. "I believe there is."

Her eyes sparkled with a gentle curiosity. "Do **_you_** get to do those missions?"

The jonin tilted his head. "Lowly ones," he admitted cooly.

Maybe she was too excited by the prospect of verifying facts from shinobi themed books to realize how much such a position exposed her breast.

Hara sat up, and he resisted the urge to sigh. As much as he enjoyed the view, Kakashi didn't think he could look into her eyes without wavering, for much longer. He used up most of his self control the moment he saw her step out of the apartment with a curve hugging black dress, under an open coat. Not a single devious thought escaped his mind then, but now...

"Like, the ones where you're just basically a glorified prostitute?"

The fluorescent lamps caressed her body just as perfectly as they had the words in his book. "Correct."

"Ah."

She leaned against his knee again, and he settled his eyes on the view of a glowing city under the light of the full moon.

"So I can hire you?"

His brow rose, and Kakashi felt a disturbance in his smooth demeanor. The city grew dim in his eyes, as his mind slowly crowded itself with indecent thoughts. He looked at the empty bottles lined near the window, and then briefly at her widening smile.

He couldn't blame her for the way her dress hugged her body, that was just the way nature designed her figure. But the topic of conversation? That smile? Just the right amount of contact between their bodies? It felt strange to be at the receiving end of such a moment.

"Hmm, and why would you?"

His mind raced to shut down the assault on his self control...

"Because then I can see under the mask, and I can specifically ask that you use no transformation techniques, or makeup, to hide your real face."

But he liked it…

"You'd pay so much money just to see under a mask?"

The way her eyes fell to his thighs, and her fingers tapped just above his knees?

She smiled. "I'm paying for the whole package." The devilish sheen in her eyes looked sober and steady. "Seeing under the mask is just a special perk."

Kakashi liked it all. The simplicity of her touch, the boldness of her words.

"Well, if all you want is to see under the mask, you don't have to go through all that trouble."

He tried. Really, he did.

"I don't?"

But in her excitement she leaned closer, and her violet scented perfume tickled his nose so gently as it radiated from atop her chest. A chest that looked so dazzling outlined in such a snug fabric, and that he did his best to resist by hiding in a room all night.

"Of course not," he shook his head. "You let me see your underwear, I let you see under my mask."

It made him jump back into the skin of a man who knew his way around a good bar hookup, a man who didn't back down from some harmless flirting because normally, he was the one initiating it. A man who'd be worthy of entertaining her whole if she dared hire him for such a mission. He was Kakashi, and fucking beautiful women was his territory.

"I show something private to me, you show something private to you…."

He nodded. "There it is."

"But I'm not wearing any."

Her smile made his cock tingle with excitement. "Well, since we're friends, I'll settle for your bra."

She laughed. So they were friends, that felt nice to know. "The dress has a built in bra, you've been staring at it the whole time." Hara pushed her hair over her shoulder, further exposing the thin strap that led to her delineated bust. "Doesn't that count?"

The jonin hummed, "Hmm…" It could be counted. He certainly felt the same excitement now that she gave him such a detailed description.

He felt his heart palpitate with a little more vigor. She didn't seem the least bit hesitant about delving into such daring waters, and he enjoyed the rare treat of not having to chase for once. For every comment she had a steady reply, as if she consciously meant to lead him to that moment from the start. Truly, it felt strange to be at the receiving en of such a moment.

"Unfortunately, you're out of luck today."

Her brow rose, but a soft knock drowned out his need to elaborate. "Hara?"

She straightened, and he already missed the little contact between their bodies. Kakashi lifted his book.

"Yeah?"

Shizune opened the door, stepping in with more confidence once she deemed the space safe. She cleared her throat. "Is he bothering you?"

Hara waved her off. "No way," she laughed. "He's performing his jonin duties by being hospitable to a civilian."

Kakashi gave a proud, mock salute. Even off duties, he took his job to heart.

Shizune resisted the urge to roll her eyes in front of a guest. She folded her arms under her bust and tapped the front of her heels against the wooden floor. "Yamato is looking for you," she turned to Hara. "Something about building a room."

"Right!" She stood up and adjusted her skirt down to its proper knee length. "I have to go take care of that."

Hara sped out leaving behind only a whiff of her exotic perfume.

"Kakashi…"

He placed the book over his mask and turned to his senior. She looked so cute with her red cocktail dress, and angry scowl. So far from the homely kunoichi he saw every day. "I swear, she's a bigger pervert than I am, Shizune."

This time she rolled her eyes freely. "Well I hope Yamato captures her interest, she needs someone more wholesome in her life."

Kakashi scoffed. "You have no idea what that kid can do with his mouth."

Her expression soured. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

He already ruined the image of a nun in her eyes, and now she didn't need Yamato exposed as someone who made Kakashi blush.

"Stay away from her."

And she left it at that.

Kakashi sank back against the window sill and opened his book again. He sighed, quietly turning back the pages to the last passage he remembered from the book. The words still didn't make sense, nothing had after seeing her for the first time that night.

She was starting to become a guilty pleasure, at an alarming rate.

{*8*}

"They got here together, and they were in that room alone for a good ten minutes, until you went to get her."

Shizune bit down on her cracker, leaning against the marble island.

Anko didn't let up. "Shizune!" She hissed.

"I know!" The words barely passed through the tightness of her gritted teeth. "But considering how everyone is treating her, it only makes sense that she's gotten attached to someone who's probably being courteous."

Anko rolled her eyes, brushing some crumbs from the side of her lips. "He's only being nice to her because she reminds him of his dead lover." She reached for another cracker from the platter. "Seriously, it's so obvious and creepy. She knows about it and is taking advantage of the whole thing."

"Why do you have so much hostility towards the girl?" Shizune sighed, releasing any hope that the two ladies would ever get along. "And how do you even know that Hara knows about Yuna, and Kakashi?"

Anko shrugged. "I just find her creepy, and manipulative. How could she not know about them? People compare them all the time, and you don't think someone mentioned the fact that she was Kakashi's girlfriend?"

Shizune pondered for a second. She never met this Yuna person, but apparently the villagers knew the story well enough for such a scandal to brew just from another woman having similar physical features.

"I guess," she ran her fingers through her short tresses. "I don't know Anko. This is Kakashi's personal life, and I don't have enough authority over him to intervene."

"But you do find it creepy?"

"Yes!" She agreed exasperated.

Anko smiled triumphantly, twirling in her little gold dress. "We should-"

"Keep an eye on him," the medic put forth before her companion had a chance to voice one of her more violent and/or emotionally traumatizing alternatives. "We know his regular level of weirdness, so if he starts acting a little crazier than usual, we can step in."

The violet haired kunoichi grabbed the cheese and ham topping from a cracker. "Fine. But I got dibs on finding and releasing any reputation destroying personal information."

Shizune shook her head. Why couldn't she ever find a group of regular people to hang out with?

{*8*}

Kakashi let his dick fall limply at the bottom of his belly. It rolled on the thin patch of hair, picking up a ticklish sensation aided by the lubricating lotion still coating it. He removed his forearm from atop his eyes and watched through the black, and gray circles of his settling vision as the fan circled lazily over him.

 _Fuck_ …

No matter how much he tried he just couldn't get hard enough to pleasure himself. The moment Shizune left Kakashi hurried home with a raging member in his pants. His mind, aided by the coursing alcohol in his system, worked up the images that would lead him to a blissful orgasm.

The fantasy was great, the traces of her chakra just enough to make the overly tepid room fall to the back of his mind, and the whiff of her perfume from that night…

Kakashi groaned…

It should have been perfect. He still felt the lust pooled in his belly as he imagined what her breast looked like after being freed from the delicate fabric that held them, the shape of her hips, and how her ass would feel in his hands.

But every once in awhile when she opened her eyes in his mind, they were a stunning blue instead of the passionate ember he craved. They still provided him with the lustful gaze he needed, but when she licked her hand and wrapped her fingers around his cock, the jonin felt an overwhelming cold embrace his whole body, until his eyes shot open and the fantasy restarted.

He tried, really he did.

That night, he wanted nothing more than to create a grand movie of him fucking Hara until his hand, coated with sticky, warm, pleasure, left his mind genuinely baffled as to where to draw the line between reality, and fantasy.

But they looked too much alike, and somewhere along his grand plan, his body and heart couldn't agree on who would be driving this reverie.

Not once during their time together did he think of them as even similar people anymore, but it seemed a part of his mind still didn't want to let go of his former lover.

Kakashi rolled to the side, grabbing the large pillow, and digging his face in the cool fabric. He needed to calm down and reassess his feelings again.

Had his hard work towards seeing her as an individual been a fantasy, and he only enjoyed her company because deep down she still reminded him of Yuna?

Maybe it still wasn't a good idea to befriend the woman.

Yeah, he needed to stay away for bit longer.

{*8*}

Kakashi found himself walking down a familiar street on Saturday afternoon. His eyes drifted through the brightly colored banners, and his ears perked with every advertising song calling for potential customers to choose them over the competition. He felt warm surrounded by undisturbed rays of sun, and the smell of breakfast carts that added a sweet aroma to the bustle that made this such a vibrant little street.

The jonin tucked his hands in his pockets and sighed.

 _For fuck's sake._

He knew he didn't belong here. Just the previous night he told himself he needed to stay away from said street (an easy task, considering he barely ever actually came by). However, yet again, he found himself in front of her bookstore, shamelessly ignoring his well thought out advice.

The door was closed, but he could still see her through the crystal, above the sign that politely emphasized that they were not operating at the moment. Hara looked up, gifting him with an immediate smiled, and encouraging him to come in.

The jonin hesitated.

He should go on about his business doing… Nothing. He left the house to do nothing, except wander around, hoping to bump into her and then blame it on fate rather than his own lack of self control. His fingers wrapped around the brass handle, and he twisted it.

The welcoming bells chimed and continued to do so long after he closed the door. Hara straightened, her oversized sweater becoming shapeless without the wooden edge of the counter defining her breast.

"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday."

Kakashi cleared his throat. Well, it seemed in all aspects of her life, she just liked being straightforward.

"I drank a few bottles, and I kind of get horny when I'm a little tipsy. Couple that with my inability to shut the fuck up, and I can be sort of inappropriate."

The jonin dug his hand into his pockets, adopting a comfortable leisure pose. "Have my flirting skills gotten that bad that you think you were harassing me?"

She laughed, still nervously picking at her nails. "No, no, I just meant that I don't want things to get uncomfortable, you know? Since I didn't see you this morning, I kind of thought maybe I messed up by being so forward."

Kakashi shook his head. Who knew he'd be the one acting all cool and collected? "I read porn on the streets."

She laughed again, finally dropping her nervous habit.

"You're gonna need a lot more than some harmless flirting to be considered inappropriate by me."

Hara sighed. "Please, don't encourage me."

Kakashi reached into his pouch, retrieving the book they had been reading.

Honestly he wanted to stay away from her. In just a few weeks, she managed to hammer his self control enough that now he found himself questioning his own expert advice like never before.

"So, does your shirt have a built in bra too?"

Just a few days, is all it took her to make him an idiot.

"Fun fact, women don't wear bras under oversized sweaters."

He opened the book and begins looking for his spot. "Whenever you do, my offer is still open."

She sighed, returning to her stool. "After the store opens I'll show you my entire collection if you want. Now, I'm just too nervous for Monday."

"Ah," he turned and began walking towards his designated window. "I'll send a clone to get you some peanuts."

"Thank you, thank you."

Kakashi really enjoyed his time in the bookstore, and the easy environment they created together. She loved books, he loved books, and at least when she stood in front of him, he only saw her as a charming individual to be around, with no traces of his former lover.

Still, the thought that he needed to address Yuna was not lost to him. He just hoped he got the chance to bring the topic to light before anyone else could… But not today. Today he wanted to indulge in the small pleasures brought on by their time together. He wanted to make just a few more happy memories, and retrieve those moments after he confessed everything, and the once bright future of their amazing friendship, crumble into nothingness.

 _ **Author's Note**_ : Thank you for reading! And thank you to those who took the time to review, and add this to their favorite/ alert list!


	9. Grand Opening

_**Grand Opening**_

Hushed chatter and slow steps flowed through the tall, dark blue bookcases around the store. Each window sill accommodated a small group of four, and those who weren't lucky enough to enjoy a good read under the sunlight streaming through the large glass, simply made their way to whatever corner, or table, was available to them.

Hara enjoyed the scent of open books as she chatted with a few friendly faces. Throughout the morning she received some welcomed apologies for the terrible months she suffered under Yuna's shadow, but after gifting the village with such a welcomed distraction, they all agreed that she already left her unique mark on the citizens. Such words warmed her heart on that frosty winter day, and brought her joy she didn't think she wanted to feel.

Past midday, the rush of customers cooled off to a manageable steady stream. Mostly readers occupied the store, leaving Hara to finally enjoy some time at the front with her cashier.

Eito straightened, the smooth curtain of black hair covering his eyes finally revealing a pair of mesmerizing violet irises. He took a break from his own selection, setting the book down on the counter. "Pretty nice opening, eh?" The younger man felt confident that once the weather became tolerable, a lot more people would be coming. "

"It really is."

She hadn't really built up an expectation for how many people she wanted, and maybe that contributed to her overall excitement. It felt wonderful to see people take to the hard floors in corners when they ran out of comfortable reading spots. They just wanted to read, and truly that was the sole purpose of her opening the store.

Hara gave a hearty knock on the wooden counter making Eito laugh. "Don't go all superstitious now Hara-san."

She shook her head nervously. "I don't want the universe to think that just because I've acknowledged my good fortune, that now I need some hard times to center me. I know I'm blessed," she said to the ceiling, where she thought the Almighty Universe would hear her best. "So let's just forget about anymore terrible life lessons for a long, long time."

Eito laughed, and she stepped over as a customer approached with a seizable purchase. Hara looked on proudly as her cashier and customer discussed the novels with enviable enthusiasm. A proud moment for the Tea Country native.

Where her business failed in her native land, here it took off beautifully. Her dream of seeing avid readers congregating in her little shop made her heart swell. In front of her laid the culmination of all her hard work and determination. Sure her parent's little present dampened her ability to say she did this all her own, but Hara wouldn't let it get to her. There were many villages in need of bookstores, and she planned to open one in each welcoming city. There she would be getting contracts and settling business proposals using her own name, and experience.

They waved goodbye to the customer, and watched as she held the door open for two more.

Hara sighed, content with such a view. "Well," she smiled. "Lunch is on me. Spread the word."

{*9*}

Kakashi patched up his bicep with a new, clean bandage. The wound looked a lot worse than it felt, but he made that assessment multiple times over the years, only to be told by a professional that he made the wrong diagnosis. The jonin would probably have to visit a doctor once he got to Konoha, but for now, he would take every precaution he could to avoid that.

He put away his traveling medic kit, and removed a map from his side pocket. His current location was two days away from Konoha, but with the mounting snow, he would add an extra day just to be sure.

As he pulled out a pen to make a small budget note, he heard a soft knock on the door. The jonin felt the chakra of the old innkeeper and hurried to answer.

"Evening, Hatake-kun." Heavy bags, and wrinkles hid her eyes, but the motherly figure always looked up at her guests as if seeking eye contact with them.

Kakashi had been loyal to her inn long enough for her to drop the formality just a notch, but not enough for her to call him by his first name.

"Good evening, Merry-san."

She gave him a scroll, and cleared her throat before speaking. "A child came to drop this off a few minutes ago," she began her drawl speech. "Short, messy brown hair, green eyes, three missing teeth at the top, and black winter coat." Her time at the inn allowed her to become friendly with many shinobi, and she knew they liked description above all else.

"Thank you Merry-san."

Slowly she waved, and began her long stroll down the hallway.

Kakashi closed the door and examined the scroll as he sat on the bed. His heart pounded as he took in the familiar outer appearance. It looked like a normal scroll, but the jonin always felt weary of non formal deliveries. Specially ones made by children.

Carefully he opened the delivery, and the letterhead made his eyes widen. He read the neatly written message, "Yuna's Death Was a Lie."

For a moment his heart stopped, and he read it again to reassure his mind. The rest of the scroll offered no indication of what his next step should be.

He examined every corner for any clues, but came up empty.

Kakashi sighed, recalling Merry's description of the boy.

He chanted the words as he jumped through the window and down onto the busy street.

The jonin walked up the narrow road, looking for said boy. Every childish laugh stole his attention, and his eyes burned into small playgroups by the piled up snow. He entered candy stores, and spoke to toy merchants. Kakashi knew such a general description wouldn't get him very far, but it didn't hurt to ask.

He did his best to control his eager pace, but his chakra spiked with every civilian carrying above normal chakra flow. The messenger could be hiding in plain sight, and he hated being the mouse in this chasing game.

The plaza offered him little as far as children were concerned. The water from the mermaid fountain froze into a lovely pattern, and mostly couples enjoyed the view.

He trudged down the cobblestone slopes, eyes sharp on any small corner where a child could hide. The end of the street came into view, and he finally saw a child perched up on a rocky wall, that made him stop in his track.

The boy fit the description pretty well, but the foreign coin in his possession really caught the jonin's eye.

He didn't seem frightened, or even moved by Kakashi's approach.

"That's a nice coin you got there, kid." He sucked at talking to children.

The boy examined the gold piece. "Big Sister gave it to me."

"Ah." He scratched the back of his head and did his best to smile. Kids responded well to smiles according to research. "Is Big Sister the same person who told you to take the scroll to the inn?"

The boy nodded, tucking away his precious gift inside another foreign looking pouch. "Yeah!" He flashed his missing teeth in an energetic smile.

Kakashi felt relieved. He found the right one. "Do you remember what Big Sister looks like, or her name?"

For a second the boy thought about it. He looked at the floor, and Kakashi could see his face contort as he came up with the he right answer. The jonin felt his heart palpitate with excitement.

"She had black hair," he finally said. " Lots of it, really long."

That must have been striking to a boy like him who lived his whole life seeing the lighter shades of this area.

"Do you remember anything else?" He pushed as gently as his nerves allowed. "Her eye color, maybe?"

He made circles with his fingers over his large green eyes. "She wore sunglasses."

"What about her skin color? Anything unique about her face?"

He looked down at his arm this time.

"Was she lighter or darker than you?"

"Darker!" He replied proudly.

Kakashi felt a bit of hope die along with that answer. Really, the kid was two shades paler than a ghost. "How dark?'

The boy looked around, but failed to find anyone to suit his need.

Kakashi lowered his mask, exposing a his entire face. "Darker than me?"

The boy nodded. "A little."

He'd keep that in mind.

He prodded the boy for anymore information, could he describe her face? She had a mouth and a nose, and purple lipstick.

That didn't help him any.

What about her clothes?

All black, he replied.

Any sigils, country marking?

He shook his head.

Kakashi sighed. All black with purple lipstick, sunglasses, and lots of black hair. Nothing unique to really pull this person out of a crowd.

The boy extended his hands as the interview came to a close. "I'll take my payment now."

Kakashi's brow rose. "How much do I owe?"

"I can't count," he admitted. "So whatever you have."

The jonin smiled, much more at ease this time. The information provided hadn't been much help, and quite honestly he didn't feel he could even trust most of it as the boy seemed to have been expecting him, which Kakashi took as a sign that this Big Sister person may have guided his answers as well. But it was the answers between the lines that drove Kakashi's interest, and the reason he generously tipped the boy for his services.

Whoever was behind this had the patience to work very meticulously. Kakashi didn't know where to go from there, but he'd definitely keep his senses on high alert.

"Thanks a lot, kid."

The boy replied with an absent wave as his new acquisition required all his attention.

He walked back up the steep hill of the street, hands in pocket, mind busy with thoughts of this woman. Who was she?

{*9*}

Usagi helped Hara lower the gate over the storefront. It was the first time closing with her, and Hara would make sure it never happened again. Really, getting the two weakest individuals in her team (no matter how easy Usagi could reach the gates) to do this arduous job had not been such a bright idea.

The streets were just settling into their nighttime pattern as the duo headed their way. Pop up stands pitched up their tents and fired up their frying oil, while neon signs erupted all around them.

"The store is doing really good."

Hara sighed proudly looking up at her younger companion. She would never get tired of hearing that.

"Really, having comfortable reading spaces, and allowing the customers to freely sample the merchandise before buying has been a huge hit with everyone." She pulled her long, blonde hair out of the knit scarf tightly wrapped around her neck. "Even at university I'm hearing people making plans to come."

"The experience the customer feels should always be the priority for a business to succeed," Hara smiled. "It's what keeps people coming back, and I'm glad to know I managed to find that sweet spot."

Her real test would come when competitors gave her customers options as to where to get their books, but for now, Hara's sense of pride still brimmed with potency.

Usagi sighed. "When I graduate and have to go work in my field, I'll come back to buy from you."

Hara laughed, "See, my first long term customer!"

The aroma of fried octopus balls sailed through the streets in a quest to dare anyone to resist the mouth watering temptation. The Tea Country native felt her stomach weaken as the smell of buttered potatoes mingled along with her first craving. This village made it too hard to stick to budgets and healthy diets.

"All of us at work were planning to have a get together tomorrow."

Hara felt delighted to have the distraction of her coworker. She focused on Usagi's cheerful golden eyes.

"Just a small celebratory dinner before the weekend hits, and we know we'll be too busy, and tired with work to go out."

Hara nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

"There's a nice restaurant from Tea Country that opened up a few weeks ago," she continued. "We were hoping to go there. You could guide us through the cuisine and we all agree that we would love to hear you speak your native language."

Hara felt her hungry stomach fill with butterflies. After a month and a half of grueling questions and stupid comments, she finally arrived at the finish line. A successful store, individual recognition, and friends. She had friends! And they happened to be her co workers whom she would spend her days with.

"Of course," she beamed.

"Great!"

Usagi's parted with the promise to get in touch with everyone else and make reservations for that Friday. Hara turned back and joined the flow going back down the street.

This night deserved a little celebratory food splurging. And she would do so with a giddy smile while thinking about what food choices her friends would like.

{*9*}

"How did it go?"

Ley hadn't closed the door properly before her traveling companion jumped from his chair to greet her. She removed her sunglasses and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "The kid delivered the scroll, and I loosely followed Kakashi around until he spoke to the kid, but I doesn't know what he'll do now."

Satoru opened a container of takeout letting the steam rise, and the white rice cool as his partner removed some layers of winter wear.

Ley gave mumbled a thanks as she took a seat. "Do you think maybe I should have used something better than just a handwritten note?"

The teen took a seat on his bed, and the worn frame groaned with the addition of his light weight. "I told you to use a piece from one of the formal mission requests you carry," he reminded her as he hooked a finger through his braided hair. "Kakashi is a former Root member, and would understand the subtle messages between the lines. Those couldn't be duplicated, he would leave without a doubt about the authenticity of the piece."

Ley sucked her teeth and cleared her purple lipstick with a napkin before digging into the white rice. "I can't just show him such an important document, Satoru." A piece of rice fell from her mouth as she chewed through a mouthful. "We need to verify that he's interested first, that he'll be an ally."

She didn't come all this way to get killed by some patriotic, ignorant, asshole.

Satoru rolled his eyes, picking some loose, green strands from his fingers. "Who wouldn't be interested in helping their lover?"

A shinobi, that's who. If she could count on the lovers of the other women, she wouldn't need Kakashi so desperately. But no matter how much she explained that to her traveling companion, the boy refused to wrap his head around her words. Born a romantic, under a full moon, and while flowers bloomed around his mother, he'd never understand the harsh realities of relationships between killers, and people whose feelings were just a plastic representation of the real thing.

"I spent too long keeping my identity hidden, and I'm not about to risk my freedom so carelessly," she finally spoke. Once Kakashi showed himself worthy of her presence, she'd give him every detail he needed to understand her predicament.

Satoru ruffled his long hair. "And if he doesn't want to help? Then what?"

Ley struggled to put a second bite in her mouth. She couldn't really eat when she felt such overwhelming nerves. "We'll force him to help."

His brown eyes widened.

"I have three other girls to verify before actually needing him," she continued. "That's plenty of time to lure him with what we have, or find another way to make him understand that this isn't a choice for him."

The younger man stood up and smile at his master. "I'll be in Konoha soon. If I see his interest dwindle, then we can send a little more proof. That should perk the guy's interest."

It felt so real, and she was so close now that she finally made contact. Her shot at ridding herself of all this guilt, and finally enjoying the life of a free human, was just some days away.

Ley nodded picking the chopsticks from the tissue with a trembling hand. She needed to eat if they wanted to make it to Konoha on time.

 _ **Author's Note**_ : Thank you for reading, reviewing, and adding this to your alerts/faves!


	10. Passion Fruit

_**Passion Fruit**_

Kakashi went to the bookstore as his first stop upon arriving at the village. He found it closed, to his dismay, but it only took him a few seconds of concentration to spot her chakra among the crowd. He followed her signature not too far away, on the third floor of a newly built complex.

He dusted himself off and sealed his jonin gear inside a pocket sized travel scroll. Being comfortable around the civilian was a priority for him.

His knuckles tapped against the glass door of her balcony, and he waved when she turned.

Hara smiled from the kitchen, quickly dropping her bag of groceries to let her guest in.

"Yo."

"This whole using chakra to find people is really fascinating."

Kakashi removed his sandals, leaving them on the corner where the sun formed a large square on the carpet. "I can always stop if you just say the word."

"No, no," she waved him off. "Doesn't bother me."

Hara gestured towards the couch before returning to the other side of the counter that separated the kitchen from her living room.

"I went to the store but found it closed, so I came uninvited to your house instead."

He made himself comfortable on the couch, and began eyeing the small space.

She laughed, and continued to organize without missing a beat. "I close early on Tuesdays and the whole day Wednesday, because according to my analysis those will be my slowest days. But if you let me know with time that you're in town, I can stay open for you."

Barren white walls, and not a single picture frame on the bookshelf. Reminded the jonin of his first apartment.

"I'm flattered to still be getting such wonderful treatment."

"I take good care of my friends," she smiled stuffing some bags into another. "How did your mission go?"

Kakashi gave up trying to find anything interesting about her home, and instead decided to focus on her. She seemed to be all the entertainment he needed.

"Not so terrible." Well up until the end with the kid and this Big Sister person. But even that he brushed off as nothing. Big Sister made no other effort to contact him for the past week. For all he knew it could have been a trap, or some terribly elaborate joke.

"You know, this place is surprisingly small." He preferred going that route rather than diving into his own affairs. She seemed like the type who liked asking questions, and he didn't have any fun stories to tell.

She nodded leaning against the counter. "I invested all my money in the store, and used as little as possible for my own place." She looked around the lackluster space. Maybe she should have added a decorative candle, or something. "I'm alone and I plan on spending most of my days taking care of a business, so I didn't feel the urge to splurge on something fancier than this."

"It's smaller than my place," he laughed. "And I didn't think they could build anything smaller than that."

Her golden irises made a trip around her eyeballs. "Well I'm so sorry for not thinking it worth my money to have a separate kitchen and living room."

Kakashi continued his laughing streak. For someone who didn't care, she sure looked as if she were making mental notes about something. He wouldn't be surprised to find an extra decorative piece on his next visit. "I wonder how big your underwear collection could be if you keep it in such a place. Unless you keep it at the store?"

She walked over to the other side of the counter, her thumb already hooked to the waistband of her grey sweats. She pulled down just enough to reveal the side of her lacy pink panties, and smiled as his reaction perfectly surmised her expectations. Surprise.

"We'll start the tour here."

Now that the nerves of being a store owner dissipated into a fun memory, and things were going better than expected, she could focus on more important things; Like the solar system, life after death, and finding out if he practiced what he read.

Kakashi tilted his head, a devious smirk brightening his features. He expected this outcome. Not so swiftly and smooth, but he was starting to understand that she didn't like to play coy. "Is it all lace, or just a design? "

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I do actually," he laughed. "Very much."

Hara lowered the band some more exposing the polka dot silk that made up the front.

"A little more, please."

She smirked pulling her pants back up. "If I lower it anymore, I expect that to mean we're skipping the whole teasing stage and are getting right down to the fucking?"

He loved it, everything that was and the thought of everything that would be. Just when he thought he did enough to push the boundaries of appropriate teasing, she blew him out of the fucking lake by a long shot.

Had she no fear of consequence?

At least when she apologized the week before, he thought she had.

But then maybe she used that moment to see just how far she could push this, and his answer must have clearly read to her, that she could push it all the way.

He'd ask her later, just like he knew she would ask if he stuck to his playbook and took the usual lead when things felt right.

The jonin removed his mask and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.

Hara didn't break eye contact as she removed her pants. "I'll take that as yes."

{*10*}

If there was one place in the house Kakashi felt confident in, it would have to be the bedroom.

He couldn't cook, a nice lady named Sami took care of the laundry and cleaning, and he didn't have a decorative bone in his body. But none of that mattered because 98% of his guests ended up in his bedroom, on the most comfortable bed they've ever slept on, biting his lip the moment he slipped two fingers inside of them.

To this day, no one questioned why his sheets never matched the pillow coverings, or why his curtains were two different shades of blue.

Hara's room looked a lot different from his; Simple, like the rest of her home, but tidy with smooth sheets, and bottles in her vanity table lined up by size. It seemed she took great care of her living space all on her own, but such a feat wouldn't distract him from making her forget about any piece of furniture that her naked ass didn't sit on, as if she were in his territory.

She allowed him the luxury of being in charge, and for that Kakashi felt grateful. In the short amount of time they knew each other she maintained a monopoly on the surprises department. Maybe his mouth couldn't produce sassy remarks at the pace she certainly could, but the way she gasped as his lips wrapped around her clit, made him confident that he could pull his own against the spunky civilian.

"What a gentleman," she hissed between strokes.

She ran her nails through his hair with the same fearlessness that made her words tickle his interest. Kakashi didn't need to tease her until he broke through a few shy barriers to finally hear what she wanted from him. She verbalized her moans carelessly when he lapped away to her liking, and his lover embraced every shudder created with just the tip of his tongue. Her legs opened as wide as they could go, and she invited his mouth to taste her from every angle he could get around to.

He felt powerful as her director, sucking her nub when he needed a moan to tease his cock, and flicking his tongue just to hear a bit of frustration out of her. He tasted each corner, until every aspect of her arousal painted a lovely memory in his tastebuds.

Kakashi kissed between her legs gently, satisfied with the memorization of his new acquisition.

He heard her giggle.

Hara arched her back as he slid his tongue all the way up to her lower belly. No matter how fantastic it felt to hear her exhalations, he found himself at her mercy once more when the winter cold robbed his hand of any moisture, and his cock stood proud and unattended, shamelessly absorbing her every gasp, but with no reassurance that his turn would come soon.

She sat up to meet him, and her lips were on his before he had any chance to protest. Her tongue snaked its way all over his mouth, taking in the entirety of his new gain with great gusto. She sighed, approving of her own taste, and it took the jonin every ounce of self control to remain centered.

He liked her shameless, and so vocal.

Hara smiled as she felt his hands stiffen on her hips. Men were such gentle creatures, worrying about imaginary timeframes, and robbing themselves of any little pleasure that would send them too early over the edge.

Really, she sympathized with the desire to impress, but right now she didn't want to get off this high just to make him think that he needed to last much longer.

"It's just the practice round," she whispered wrapping her sticky fingers around his throbbing member. "Don't take it so seriously."

His breath caught in his throat, and she felt him shudder beneath her. Hara smiled as his hips swayed to her slow movement. She led him gently, yet with a firm enough hold to make up for her inadequate hand size.

He could feel the heat pouring out of his every muscle, as a blissful stream surged through his body, awakened by her expert touch. Kakashi licked his lips and let her guide him for a careless moment. She kissed his neck, softly nibbling the tender skin until she reached his jaw.

Her lips spread into a smile as his body betrayed his quiet desires, and she felt him sway with a little more vigor.

A lone fuck rode atop a controlled breath, and he grabbed her hand to bring her movement to a regrettable stop.

When they shared more experience between the two, Kakashi would even find it hot that she could make him cum with her fingers and lips. But today, he intended to set the stage for a grand start, and nothing less than thrusting himself silly inside of her, would do.

He carried her to an empty wall, and Hara knew he was wrapping himself in latex the one brief moment his hand left her ass. Her left cheek felt the cool wall, and she sighed as her ardent skin enjoyed the remarkable sensation.

There were no pleasantries, warnings, or even a second to prepare. Kakashi thrust himself inside of her, with only the offering of his lips in case she needed something to bite.

It seemed she didn't, and it took him an extra second to start as her moan reverberated through his body.

She swayed her hips, taking the lead into the last round of their lustful, yet brief tryst.

His frustrated cry made her skin shiver and her lips mold into a knowing smirk, but her power trip didn't last long. That was her one and only warning.

She hissed as he slid out, and drove his cock back in without a trace of the gentle lover that he started as. His only apology came as he licked his thumb and worked a circling motion around her clit.

He wanted her to cry louder, to breathe harder, and to crave him long after this encounter. Such a lofty goal kept his head leveled enough to deter his throbbing member from selfishly indulging to the point of bringing about his own orgasm. Kakashi traded the feel of her warm, snug, insides with the sight of her uneven breaths as he went in harder, and the feel of her ass on his hand with the sun kissed skin as she freely wriggled underneath him.

She moaned, and he felt her fall limply against the wall.

Kakashi kissed the side of her neck, teasing the skin with a gentle lick. "You like that?"

She didn't hesitate to answer, instead moving her hips to the rhythm of his hands and dick. "Very, very much," she laughed.

Something inside of him wanted to scream that a part of him loved every moment she created. The smirks, the moans, the freedom to shamelessly express every ounce of pleasure in its purest form. Her hips dancing, the way her insides wrapped and tightly hugged his member, each sigh, even the way she licked her fingers and took over pleasuring herself, the moment his hand returned to fully cup her ass.

Kakashi loved it all.

Her lips landed gently on his, and she inhaled the tangy aroma brewing around them. He took her words to heart, and Hara felt enamored with his raw, animalistic thrusting. She'd take him on many, many rides, that she could promise. But for now, the civilian wanted her skin to blossom with goosebumps as her insides fondly serviced his every powerful stroke.

She sighed against his lips as her her nails dug through his moist tresses. It hurt so good.

He felt his member stiffen with a customary force. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she pulled her lover deeper into the kiss, as if she knew exactly the direction his body was headed.

Kakashi tightened his hold on her, as the last of his self control left his body on autopilot. The pooling bliss at the bottom of his belly spilled through his muscles, and extremities, even coming out as a stiff sigh against her lips, before spilling fully onto a latex wrapper inside of her.

Hara held him between her naked chest, until she felt his body soften under her touch with one last muffled groan, and electric shudder. She smiled, and filled her lungs with a the aromatic remnants of such a lively encounter. Such a delicious appetizing treat was surely the harbinger of the main course to come, and the civilian couldn't wait.

Her lover planted small, remorseful kisses around her breast. There was still so much he wanted to do, so many parts of her body left unexplored. He felt her legs loosen around his waist, and he continued to plant small apologetic kisses as he carried her back to bed.

"I'll just need your fingers for a moment," she smiled as he climbed in bed next to her.

Kakashi sighed curling his naked form next to his petite lover. His lips explored her neck, the shell of her ear, and side of her face. "I'm all yours."

She closed her eyes and guided his fingers to her throbbing nub. He kissed her lips as he worked on bringing her own orgasm to fruition.

Really under her, he relinquished all control, and he was starting to like it.

{*10*}

Kakashi heard the water running in the bathroom as his lover continued on to her hair long after he exited their joint shower. She warned him her tresses took forever to wash, condition and set, so separate showers would probably be their best bet post coitus. The jonin didn't care, and his push to give her a hand with washing her back paid off in the form of one last quickie.

He rested his head on her pillow and enjoyed the full comfort of having a bed to himself. He felt energized, yet drained, and the battling feelings lulled him into a tranquil state that sedated his body for almost an hour now.

His vision couldn't focus on the clock at the far end of the room, but Kakashi knew the time to be close to midnight.

She hadn't lied about their first go being the practice round, and Kakashi felt an electric wave rush through his body as his mind sorted through all the images created that night. His member had no more energy to respond, and just retorted with a dull, aching pain. Not that he could blame his body in the least.

Hara took him on a wild ride, the likes of which he didn't remember experiencing outside of work. But even after acting like his wildest fantasy, Kakashi admitted that he truly loved the moment she would hide between his chest and ask him to wrap himself around her, while she regained her strength. That little moment of weakness where she satisfied his inner protector.

He sighed running a hand through his face. How satisfying it felt to be with someone who understood him without even trying.

The shower stopped running for the second time, and Kakashi moved to his side of the bed.

He would have missed all of this if he went with his first idea to avoid her.

The thought made him shudder.

Sure he couldn't miss something he never experienced, but now that such a night made a part of his memories, he found it hard to believe that he could willingly leave her for any reason short of her trying to kill him.

But even that he didn't have much to worry about.

During her most intense orgasm, where her nails dug in his shoulders with their most powerful grip, he felt only a ticklish sensation. Even the redness of his skin lasted but a few seconds.

She was a civilian who could manipulate him with her body and mind, but her physical strength couldn't even compare to poorly trained genin on his best day.

The jonin chuckled.

She had him thinking about future encounters when she barely acknowledged that they would be lovers for more than a night. How frightening it felt to be on the other side of the equation, but maybe that was the thrill? Feeling around a new territory made for an exciting trip when someone else led the way.

Hara stepped out of the bathroom, hair in towel, and wearing an oversized pink shirt as a nightgown. Kakashi sat up.

As much as he wanted to savor this moment between them, Kakashi couldn't let go of his nagging responsibilities. He put off the topic for this long because they were just friends, and if the topic ever came up, at least she couldn't say he pushed his feelings onto her when all he ever showed was his desire to read in her presence. But to his surprise, she wanted him, and now that he consented to more than just a friendly time together, Kakashi wanted to set things straight before moving any further.

"Looking pensive there, lover."

He watched her rummage through an endless array of bottles in the vanity table. She sorted then to her liking, and began applying some creams liberally over her face.

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Fuck!" She stopped and turned. "You don't have a girlfriend, or a wife, do you?"

"Uh…" Kakashi scratched the side of his jaw. "No."

She smiled, slumping against the furniture behind her. "I respect titles, and that precious piece of paper, ya know?"

Kakashi found it hard to resist a smile. He didn't see this going past this night, which is why he had already dressed his lower half, but he prayed to the universe that somehow it would. He really loved her company, her straightforwardness, and now her lustful drive.

"It's about Yuna."

She decided against going back to her nighttime routine. "Oh?"

"We were lovers, until she was killed."

Her eyes widened, and he could see her struggling to swallow, but he continued undisturbed. Kakashi was a firm believer of ripping off the bandage in one painful go.

"The first time I met you, I saw how physically alike you both were, but I swear to you, I don't see either of you as even similar people."

"So…" She cleared her throat. "So… Just please tell me that this isn't some twisted fantasy where you get to feel that you're satisfying some unfulfilled wish?"

Because if it was, she preferred hearing that he had a pregnant wife and kids, to this.

Kakashi shook his head fiercely. "That's why I'm telling you now, in case you don't feel comfortable after this point. I want to continue on the road we've been going, and I know people will assume that I'm only with you because you remind **_them_** of Yuna, and they think the same holds true to me. But I want to make it clear, that you're a completely different person to me."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Positive."

"Are you sure, you're sure?"

"If I had a fantasy to fulfill, I wouldn't be risking ending things just as they started getting intimate."

She raised a brow.

"It would make more sense for me to keep it a secret until someone inevitably brought it up." Really, Kakashi considered himself lucky that she made it this far without hearing about his relationship with Yuna from an outside source.

"I guess."

Hara crossed her arms under her chest and licked her lips. She never expected such a predicament, but she appreciated his openness, and honesty. They were silent for the longest moment in the world. Kakashi's gaze slipped to his fingers playing with the sheets, and Hara focused on some quiet breathing exercises while her brain worked.

She knew things were going too smoothly in her life.

"If you would've told me before tonight, I would have considered cutting things off," she admitted. "But you're kind of really, really good in bed, coupled with the fact that you've been such a delight to hang around with."

She sighed, and he felt his heart beat loudly against his chest.

"It's not like I wanted something serious anyways," she shrugged. "So I'll trust you when you say you're aware that you're sleeping with me, and not some memory of your former lover."

He nodded, doing his best to remain composed.

"Let's just keep it out of the public eye then," she proposed. "If we look like friends, they can't say anything, right?"

"Yeah."

He didn't mean to laugh, but nerves…

"A good fucking can make women irrational, you know?"

She turned back to the vanity table, and grabbed the nearest bottle.

"Men too."

Hara smiled at him through the mirror. She really wanted to take this more seriously, maybe think about it, properly analyze the pros and cons.

"Let's just make the best out of this irrational agreement, while it lasts then."

He returned the gesture. "Gladly."

But that smile, and those memories made that night wouldn't let her. If they just stuck to their original plan of keeping things strictly sexual, and private, they would do just fine.

{*10*}

Hara would be looking forward to her days off as long as she lived in Konoha. Wednesday would now be a day for her to rest from a good work week, and Tuesday sex marathons.

Oh yeah, this turned out better than she expected.

Get citizenship? Check.

Buy apartment? Check.

Open store, and come one step closer to proving herself to her sibling, parents, and board of trustees in her family's business? Check.

Make friends? Check.

Find a lover? She hadn't added that to the list til meeting the unique jonin, but check, check, check.

The black haired civilian sighed adding a teaspoon of sugar to her passion fruit extract. She mixed it around and sucked on the spoon. It tasted just as good as yesterday felt, she decided, and her body felt a tiny ripple of joy that she hoped to expand on later that day.

The man knew his way around a woman, and she relinquished any doubt about that the moment his mouth touched her clit so expertly. She would savor that moment for months to come, and retrieve it from her mental archive during her loneliest times. Last night alone he gave her enough material to keep her busy for the foreseeable future and she looked forward to seeing what else she could add to her list tonight, and any other chance they got.

Hara filled her mouth with a spoonful of passion fruit and sighed at the acrid goodness. She gathered the papers in front of her and set them to the side.

Kakashi spoke up first. "What are you looking at there?"

Neither said a word for some time now, both immersed in their own little project.

"Real Estate prices for nearby villages," she replied setting the spoon in the small glass.

Kakashi lowered his book resting it on his chest. It looked like they could both use a break from their respective reads. "Don't tell me you're moving already?"

She smiled leaning against the counter. "Not anytime soon, just window shopping for now?"

"Oh yeah?"

"The store is actually doing pretty good, so I may be able to open the second store a little sooner than expected."

Her companion nodded. "You want two stores?" An ambitious woman. He liked that.

Hara waved him off. "Five? Six? As long as there's a village that needs books, I want to open a store there."

Kakashi could tell he touched upon an exciting topic, and he smiled as her face lit up.

"You know the Spa Village near here? They don't have a single bookstore! I'm thinkin of doing a little something there."

He laughed. "Have you thought that people don't go there to read? That maybe they're going there to relax and get massages done?"

Hara didn't seem to understand. "Why can't they do both?"

"Have you tried getting a massage while reading?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Reading is amazing, it's a fun massage for your mind. So honestly, getting your foot rubbed while letting your mind wander into another universe is what heaven should look like."

Kakashi found the sound of his laughter strange coming out so often, but really… He never thought he would be asking this question. "Have you, by any chance, tried reading while having sex?"

Hara sat back on her chair, and another chuckle rocked the jonin's sore body. Really, she needed to think about it?

"No," she finally decided. "But if the guy is particularly boring I do examine plot holes from my current read. One time I came up with a plot for a book."

Kakashi bit his lip. "You're such a nerd." And this coming from _**him**_!

She blew him a kiss. "Thanks."

"I really hope that did not happen yesterday, though."

"No, no," she assured. "Yesterday I felt jello legs for like an hour after we finished. You're at the top of my list if that means anything to you."

He smirked. "A lot, actually."

"Flattered," she smiled.

Hara dug her spoon into the last bit of passion fruit and twirled the seeds around her tongue. "You'll see, my idea of spas with books will take that little village by storm," she declared pointing her teaspoon at her lover. "It'll be great."

Kakashi smiled lying back on the couch. "I'm sure it will," he agreed. "I'll visit on my days off."

A surprised smile rose from her lips as if she was amazed at how little it took to convince him. "Yeah?"

He nodded lifting the book to his face. "Just don't add an erotic section though. No one wants to get a boner while a random aunty massages their leg."

"Ah," she pulled her stack of papers in front of her and searched for the real estate listing for that particular village. "That's a good point."

They delved back into their reads as a comfortable silence settled in the room.

 _ **Author's Note**_ : Thank you for reading, reviewing, and adding this to your alerts/faves!


	11. Her

_**Her**_

"I've seen him with a girl who looks very similar to Yuna."

Ley sat up on the small bed, and fanned her exposed neck with a hand. It didn't feel like the middle of winter inside the inn, and she already complained twice to management about easing up on the heating system. Both times the scrawny man met her with a hostile look, and a bland, "I'll see what I can do about it," which Ley took to mean as nothing would get done.

Cheap nightly rates, meant cheap customer service, and she dreaded having to use the people surrounding her room to mask her own chakra. As soon as she got her shit done, she'd be staying out in the open planes, with the nice winter breeze, and soft earthy feel.

"How much alike?" She finally asked.

Satoru took a seat on the chair by the dining table. He began removing his winter accessories, piling them up by the empty takeout containers. "They could pass off as twins," he said confidently, pulling at his thick gloves.

Ley's eyes narrowed. "That's creepy."

Satoru nodded, and they both turned to the left as a loud thump shook the mirror on the wall. A string of expletives from their drunken neighbor followed the commotion, and both inhabitants sighed as another drunken brawl began in the room.

"She owns a bookstore," the younger man continued. "And they spend a lot of time there, especially after closing hours."

 _ **Thump**_! The mirror creaked, and swung slowly against the wood behind it.

"I know Yuna's been gone for years, but to replace her with a lookalike is just creepy."

He shrugged. "Should we just skip to plan C?"

"No," she sighed. "We need to be a little more patient."

Specially because they had no real plan C.

 _ **Thump**_!

Ley felt her skin grow hotter. She did her best to save as much patience as she could while Kakashi took the bait, which meant she had very little leftover for some drunken assholes with gambling issues.

"Where is he now?"

Satoru swallowed nervously. She started loosening her extremities, and he knew they'd be relocating inns, while possibly running away from more authority figures, very soon.

"He left on a mission to Suna a few days ago. Should be back soon."

Ley stood up, and her apprentice followed. He grabbed the hat from the table along with a handful of traveling scrolls. It would do him good to start packing now, and maybe they would even be in their next hotel by the time the police showed up to investigate the possible murder.

 _ **Thump**_! _**Thump**_!

"He'll be coming through Rose village on his way back," she noted. Ley ran a finger down the tiny scar by the side of her face. It burned when she had a headache. Burned now, quite bad too, and she was all out of medicine. "I'll wait for him there."

The floor barely felt her presence as her lithe body made its way across. Satoru moved to the bed, and began the packing process.

"I'm gonna go relieve some stress."

"Don't kill em," he warned.

 _ **Thump**_!

But the moment the mirror landed on the floor, making a spectacle of broken glass and cheap framing plastic, he knew his warning fell on deaf ears.

Satoru sighed and closed his eyes. ANBU, Root, the Konoha government, and now the local police. Seemed Ley enjoyed being a fugitive.

{*11*}

Just two hours from Konoha, the tiny Rose village made for a nice stop to shop for souvenirs, and food that tasted like the one made by everyone's grandmother. Kakashi didn't make it a habit to break his journey in the quaint little place, but today he found some time to spare, and decided to indulge his desire for a stroll.

His relationship with Hara had been going smoothly for the past two weeks, and the jonin didn't remember the last time he felt such excitement. Reading, sex, sarcastic banter, and relaxing moments of silence made up most of their days, with the occasional break popping up when his own responsibilities called.

When the store was busy, and he couldn't wait to see her, it took the jonin very little effort to convince her to leave early and join him for a mini adventure around town. Those random bursts of excitement where they got to explore the village from rooftops, or other quiet areas, were starting to become a constant craving for Kakashi.

He wanted to show her everything, listen to her bashful commentaries, and even openly judge people over some beers at the local bars. Ah, but he knew better, and he preferred going the quiet route with their dates rather than having none at all.

Kakashi tucked his hands in his pockets and stopped at a small shack painted all in white. In front of their large window, a cart held different kinds of homemade peanut goods, most of which he had never seen during his travels.

The jonin leaned in, observing the wide variety, and taking in the tantalizing aroma. Personally he would never care for so many ways to mix sugar and peanuts, but he knew Hara would probably like it.

Kakashi straightened just in time to meet the crooked smile of a young girl extending her hands towards him. He swallowed, noticing the cheaply bought scroll secured under her fingers.

"Big Sister sent you this, Hatake-san." Her black haired twirled in the soft breeze, along with her bright, orange dress coat.

Kakashi hesitated, but the girl stood on her toes, bending her black shoes as far as they could go.

"Here, it's yours."

She pressed it against his jacket, leaving the jonin little option but to take it. He felt around the pocket where his other hand still rested, but before he had a chance to tip her as he expected, she ran off down the dusty road before them.

Kakashi didn't follow her. He stood by the store, his fingers barely registering the sensation of the familiar scroll.

 _What now_...

{*11*}

Hara expected Kakashi to be back that Thursday, according to his own calculations, and his insistence that she wait for him at the store. She managed to complete her paperwork, craft new work schedules for the upcoming week, and even made a grocery list to be picked up that night. But as the hands rounded the 8 o'clock hour, she knew she'd have to leave that chore for tomorrow.

The civilian sighed, taking one last glance around her empty store. Maybe she wouldn't be needing to take the day off tomorrow, after all.

Hara straightened, stretching her hands towards the ceiling, until her back felt the tension soften. She gathered her sweater, did a visual check of her boots, and coat by the door, and began running down the list of things that needed to be secured before heading home for the night.

"Hey."

The door opened just as she reached for the keys, and she failed miserably at hiding the smile that his presence alone urged out of her. Well, there went her plan to look cool, and collected.

"I really thought you weren't coming."

He placed a white paper bag on the counter, and proceeded to his spot by the window.

"Sorry about that."

Hara licked her lips, the contagious smile from earlier melting off just as fast as it appeared. Her lover didn't look to be in the best mood, and she acknowledge the bundle of nerves that came with facing such a new predicament.

Kakashi retrieved a book and began his casual reading. She observed him quietly for a minute, then another. The same pages remained open, and Hara stepped over the counter to make her move.

She adjusted the waist of her black leggings, and lowered her crop top just a notch over her belly. Suddenly looking sexy for his return seemed so out of place.

"How did your mission go?"

She never slept with a shinobi before, so she hoped he was forgiving if she chose an inappropriate conversation topic to start with when he obviously didn't look so happy.

Kakashi lowered his book. Honestly, he didn't even think he could read it.

"Didn't end so well," he admitted plainly.

She wiggled her bare toes before continuing the journey across the cool, wooden floor. "It didn't end 'I need to be left alone' well, 'I need a drink' well, or 'other option' well?"

He laughed. She had a way with words. "Well, it's not the first one, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

She leaned her head against the wall, and he watched her long hair spill over her shoulders.

"So I'll leave it up to you, if it's not too much to ask."

Hara smiled. "Normally, I would recommend a good book, and some sweet cuddling." She pulled the large, gold colored rope from the wall, and the heavy curtains fell over the glass window. "But because we're still so new to this whole 'sleeping with each other' scene, I'm going to selfishly try to satisfy my own frustration, and place my bets on some good ol' stress relieving sex."

Kakashi placed the book down and extended his hand towards his lover. "That works."

It always did.

He accepted her on his lap, and he closed his eyes as her legs straddled him comfortably. Hara removed his mask, her fingers ghosting over his lips, before starting her seductive journey with a gentle kiss.

The jonin appreciated the choice of starting off with slow tempo. He breathed in the lavender she carried in her loose tresses, and tantalized his tastebuds with the flavors imbedded in her tongue. She let him guide her this time, her tongue gliding in his territory, her hips grinding to the rhythm he set, against his rising erection.

For a moment Kakashi felt frightened about the contents of the scroll. It shook him noticeably, to the point where it took him hours to finally decide to come to the shop.

The contents were a lot more detailed, and he feared a reality where Yuna's death was an elaborate scheme. Would it change the wonderful thing developing between Hara, and him? Could he stop his mind from imbedding his memories of Yuna into his current lover?

He licked the side of her neck, and sighed as her hands did away with his belt.

No, she still tasted like Hara.

The way she licked her hands, and welcomed his cock into the open, with a swift, firm stroke?

His eyeballs rolled to the back of his head, and he felt his body go limp under her expert touch.

That was only something Hara would do, and maybe he didn't need to be in control that night after all.

She moved down, wrapping her lips gently at the tip of his member, and forming a ring with her fingers around the base to keep him steady. Her mouth glided down smoothly until her lips met her fingers.

Kakashi felt his muscles jerk as her mouth slid back up, leaving his gleaming cock cold and restless. The jonin breathed out. He let his head rest against the wall, and licked his lips as her tongue evened out his slick coating with wide, even strokes.

She moaned as her mouth encased him a little deeper, testing out a new set of boundaries for her jaw.

Kakashi groaned.

Yeah… It was all Hara.

There was no mistaking it, and he had nothing to worry about.

{*11*}

Kakashi watched her stand on her tippy toes as she reached for a book from his cabinet. Her shirt rode up exposing her red laced panties, a view that in his eyes, made the shining sun behind her look like a meaningless speck of dust. Her ass was grand, and he loved it.

She flipped through some books before putting them back in their original place. The jonin stirred in the couch, quietly watching his lover snoop through his things while wearing his plain, black undershirt.

He brought her home for the first time last night, to give their sex marathon a cushier change of scene. For a civilian she had a healthy amount of energy, and her sexual appetite was enviable. She even made snacking in between sessions feel so amorous, and the jonin woke up that Friday morning, wholly satisfied by his lover.

"Can I borrow this?" She removed her glasses, and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"My shinobi guide?" He laughed.

Kakashi forgot why he took another one when he made the change to his new uniform. Not even the first one he received over two decades ago ever made it into his reading list.

"I don't just read dirty books, you know. I have an interest in how the world around me works." Specially now that she found herself surrounded by these wonderful creatures called shinobi.

"It's like an instruction manual," he admitted. "Long, boring, and full of unnecessary details."

"Oh." She flipped through it again, looking at the bland pages disappointedly. "Well can't say I didn't I try. When I'm annoying you with questions, just remember this moment."

Kakashi nodded, and watched her return the manual to its rightful place.

"Do you want to get food outside?" Hara reapplied her glasses, choosing another book from his selection.

His eyes shifted up, where sunrays slithered along the tiled ceiling. Absently he scratched around his naked abdomen.

The afternoon hours crept up on the duo, and Kakashi felt a sudden urge to break away from their established lazy routine. Yes he wanted to go out. He wanted to grab some snacks from a few different shops until they had enough for a feast back home. He wanted to see her face as he brought to light an obscure dish which looked awful but surprisingly offered an incredible taste. She never backed out of those challenges, and Kakashi often found himself looking through old menus for new things to try.

"Well?"

He hadn't noticed her standing over him. Kakashi smiled looping a ringlet of her hair though his finger.

"Let's just stay in."

She didn't hesitate. "Sure, sure."

Her lips landed on his forehead for a quick peck, and the lovely surprise left him unable to react fast enough to stop her from leaving his side.

Truly, going out today sounded like a fantastic idea. He would even be willing to hold her hand, pull her by the waist, or show any other not so subtle hints that they were indeed lovers as he often did before Yuna. He could just imagine her playing along when the inevitable question popped up about the status of their relationship, and he craved to hear the sassy way she would dismiss the nosy strangers.

The jonin could almost say with certainty that these feelings sprouted from the difference in yesterday's carnal feast. For the first time it wasn't purely a race to an orgasmic nirvana, and he found in her every action the desire to communicate her willingness to pull out all the stops to make him feel better. Their every kiss had depth, and each touch felt like a gentle caress rather than an animalistic grope.

But Kakashi knew better than to let his amorous feelings make him completely irrational. The villagers were starting to look again, and he could hear the traces of whisper the few times they dared walked by together. She may have been easily distracted by his knowledge of worthless trivia, their endless book reviews, or a simple jutsu that made her eyes widen, and mouth drop, however, he needed to continue reminding them both of the agreement they made on the first night.

He didn't want to ruin something when they were doing so good.

She was by his side again, and the feel of her cheek on his torso and her hair spread over his belly, made for a welcomed surprise back to reality.

"We don't just have to fuck, Kakashi."

His lover placed his hand over her cheek, and his fingers instinctively curved to caress her skin.

"We can talk, or stay quiet. Read, sleep, splurge on something different… Whatever you want."

To tell everyone that she wasn't Yuna, that's what he wanted. To show them how different they reacted to the same thing, how they didn't even look alike after spending just a few days with her, and to shout how certain he felt that this little civilian drove him wild all on her own.

Then, when everyone got it through their head that this wasn't just some fucked up quest to satisfy his yearning for a second chance with his former lover, he wanted to fade into obscurity with her. Build whatever they could, for as long as she let him. Maybe a few months, maybe a year, or until she went away to open her new store. He didn't care, Kakashi just wanted to savor every second of their fun ride, and then rest peacefully wherever it led him.

"We can come up with something," he finally answered.

She sighed gleefully as his fingers swept through her tresses.

"You're staying through the weekend, no?"

Hara nodded, unaware as to when she made such an agreement. "Sure thing." But if he needed her, she didn't see the harm in taking a few extra days off. "I'll go make some calls."

 _ **Author's Note**_ : Was debating for a while whether to extend the third scene into a full lemon, but since I didn't get much of a response out of the full lemon from Chapter 10, I decided to just leave it as is. Since my view count continues to increase, but I'm still getting very little comments, I'm just going to go ahead and think you guys are happy with the way I'm writing :) Anyways, thank you for reading!


	12. Levels

_**Levels**_

Snow poured over Konoha Monday morning, slowing down the normally frantic bustle on the streets into a quiet murmur. Kakashi watched as small crystals appeared on the window behind the secretary's desk, until the view of a waking Konoha was blurred in his eyes.

He turned in the direction of the approaching figures, the sound of Misubi's heels announcing her presence before her chakra even made it onto his radius. Shizune walked ahead of her as she spotted the jonin, and she turned briefly to give her secretary a quick word before acknowledging her guest.

"Walk and talk," she said prodding his shoulder.

They began their journey down the quiet hallway. "I want to see the sealed files for Root."

Shizune appreciated his straightforwardness. A busy morning awaited her, but she knew that if he came so early, it meant he wasn't here to waste her time. Digging around Root files? Seemed pretty serious.

"Why?"

Kakashi clutched the travel scroll in his pocket, squeezing the damned object with as much restrained frustration as he allowed himself to express. He needed the context inside, but at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to set the paper on fire, and self hypnotize the memory of ever reading such a thing, away.

"I need to check the number of a person."

The medic stopped. She knew Kakashi was aware of his preferential treatment; early access to the best missions, no disciplinary action for being late, or giving in shitty mission reports, access to classified information, and of course, a straight connection to the Hokage. But never, in her time knowing him, had Kakashi ever asked for a special favor. Specially one of this magnitude.

He understood it as well. The way he avoided her gaze, and refused to even turn to look in her direction, told Shizune everything she needed to know. Yuna.

"Where did you get her Root access number?"

Kakashi sighed. From a scroll. "It doesn't matter." One that included the top of a Root mission request, and the bottom portion with Danzo's signature, as well as the target specifications for a random assignment given to her. It included Yuna's name, and signature, right under Danzo's. He could see it all, her entire Root history. If only Shizune would cooperate with him.

She leaned against the nearest wall, her arms crossed under her chest. "I don't have the clearance for that," she admitted. "Only the Hokage does, and even she needs approval from the council. Meaning, if she wants to go in there, she needs to have a damn good excuse. Helping a good friend come to terms with an ex lover isn't a good enough reason for her to go bicker with the old people, so you're out of luck."

But maybe now he could consider that Hokage position they had been offering him for so long.

"Can I at least confirm the number belongs to her?"

Shizune shook her head sternly. Finally their gazes met, and she understood why he got away with so much; genetics gifted the man with the sweetest little eyes. "No." But she got enough practice with Tsunade to know how to deny even the cutest face in the world. "Look, I've never been in that room. It's heavily guarded, with a million barriers, and a thousand protocols just to be in there."

So he couldn't confirm the legitimacy after all. Looked real enough, with the familiar intricate handwriting, and coded message throughout the paper indicating the time Yuna had to complete the assignment.

"Thank you anyways, Shizune."

"Don't do anything stupid, Kakashi." She stepped off the wall. "Trying to break into the room qualifies as stupid."

Even he understood that. "I won't, I promise."

"Oh." The medic stood a little taller. She never convinced him to do anything serious so quickly before. "Good." Maybe it would be a good day afterall. "Do you need anything else?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'll see you around."

She needed to hurry and use as much of this luck as she could before it disappeared as quickly as it always did.

Kakashi turned and began heading towards the front entrance again. He knew it was a long shot, but the jonin just wanted to quietly shut this entire ordeal down. Get her number, see her mission sheets, and confirm or deny Jiraya-sama's words. Then from there he would move on accordingly. He would continue giving her a special place in his heart, or erase any memory he held near. But ultimately, he could freely move on with his new lover, and begin addressing the public's view of them once his feelings were fully settled.

At least he could say Big Sister held his interest now. She needed to be a legitimate member of Root to have such an important document in her possession.

 _Fuck_ …

But what could he do now? She didn't send any further instructions.

The snow piled high on the rooftops of Konoha's newest structures. He'd walk today, if only to avoid the hassle of dashing through snow. Maybe Mother Nature intended to give him some clarity though his journey.

{*12*}

Hara tipped her desk chair back and began to rock herself slowly. She bit the end of her pen before starting the long read of the letter she drafted for her sister.

 _Dear Alma,_

So formal, but it would do. How else could she start her letter?

 _I hope your stay in Reyjin goes by quick. When one of us isn't around, mom, and dad take out their parental frustration on the nearest sibling, and right now, that's me._

Also, Hara didn't like writing letters. They always sounded so formal, and she had to edit her excitement to fit on paper, which left her feeling bland at the end of it. But Alma would be in Reyjin for another two weeks and this would be the last letter shared between the siblings. Hara felt confident that as soon as her sister reached Kaibun again, she'd be receiving a personal call where they could properly discuss the latest gossip at length.

 _People have stopped calling me Yuna… Well, except for the occasional drunk asshole when I walk down the streets at night, but they don't count. So it's safe for you to take a weekend trip up here whenever you want._

She bit her lip, debating whether to add a tidbit about inviting their old girlfriends, but Hara decided against it. Maybe when things cooled with Kakashi, and she could focus on something other than wanting to get screwed by him. At least with Alma she knew her younger sibling wouldn't want to stay for longer than a day or two. Such a short period, Hara could tolerate for now.

 _The store is doing great! Things finally settled and my second biggest worry has been calmed; my regular clientele is still faithful. The number of steady clients is actually a bit more than anticipated, so that makes me really happy. I've also had wonderful luck with the team I picked to help around the store. Everyone is so hard working, and even when I'm not around, they operate so smoothly. I can leave them running the store while I go take care of personal things, which is really comforting._

Oh how she wanted to go into detail on the next topic. She smiled doing her best to quell the rising influx of lustful memories made over the weekend. Maybe for this section she wouldn't complain about it being written instead of spoken. Hara knew well enough she wouldn't be able to exercise as much restraint if Alma were listening to this topic instead of reading it. She'd reveal everything about him in just a second, but at least in letter form, she could hold her tongue well enough.

 _I met this guy. Nothing serious, pretty handsome, and oh so interesting. Don't want anything serious either. It looks like I'll be opening my second store a lot sooner than I thought, and for sure that won't be in Konoha._

As much as she enjoyed Kakashi's presence and everything they did together, she didn't want a relationship holding her back from going full speed ahead with her goals.

Hara swiveled her chair, sighing as the snowy town came into view through the window. He said he'd be busy most of the day, but the cool weather made her hope he would come by even for a bit.

She shook her head, returning to the work at hand.

Sometimes her yearning for him troubled the civilian. She needed these days apart, if only to refocus on the world outside their fantasy land.

 _Are you sure you don't want me to call dad? He didn't mention the business going through a rough patch when we last spoke, so now I'm a little worried. I know you know more about the family business than I ever will, but him having to take a vacation to center himself, makes me think that there's more to this rough patch than he's letting us know. Is there a way for me to show support without sounding like pity? Do you think it would do him good if I went down for a visit?_

Maybe it would do her some good to get away from town for a few days. Spending some quality time with her parents, and sibling, sounded like a wonderful way to unwind. Definitely better than the way she chose to relax here.

That weekend she spent with Kakashi rattled all sorts of forbidden sentiments. Wanting their lips to touch, even for a second, without it leading to anything else. Lying quietly against him when they read, or watched television, just so she wouldn't stop feeling his gentle fingers caressing her absently. Generally craving his presence.

She could laugh about it now, but even as a joke, she didn't want him to make her feel such a way. Non sexually motivated emotions were the scariest things in the world.

So yeah, she could use a few days out of town. As much as she loved everything about their time together, attachment feelings would only get in her way.

She picked up her pen and turned the page over.

 _Call me as soon as you get to Kaibun, I want to go down home with you for a visit._

{*12*}

They couldn't afford anything better when moving across town to a new inn, but Satoru did enjoy the new beds. While Ley completed her personal assignments, and after a long day of his own espionage work, he often pushed both beds together to make a giant comfort haven. He enjoyed rolling around, inhaling the aroma of sarcococca all around the cozy inn. The cold didn't matter, the creaky floors fell to the back of his complaint list, and the noisy neighbors? They'd hear from Ley soon.

The door opened, and the brunette didn't even bother acknowledging her protege's playful arrangement. She accepted his young age long ago.

"Anything new to report this week?"

She saw plenty of empty takeout containers by the table on her way to the hook by the bathroom door. He fed himself well in her absence.

Satoru rolled across the bed. "Well, Kakashi did go ask an official to see Yuna's files, which means he is interested."

Ley removed her coat and hung it by her companion's. She worked on loosening her hair next. "When did this happen?"

He rolled on to the wooden floor, landing quietly on his feet. "Four days ago."

"I see."

"But he hasn't done anything since," he continued, pushing his bed back into position. "He goes out with the girl, still hangs out with her at the bookstore, but the man just doesn't seem very concerned with Yuna."

She felt a chill run down her pale arms. The former kunoichi hated the fact that she needed him so bad, but her true animosity for him grew out of the fact that he moved on to some cheap imitation. Had it been any other girl, she wouldn't bat an eye, but a lookalike? Disgusting.

"I'm sure with that last letter, he understands you're a former Root operative."

Ley discarded her pants, laying the garment on the back of a chair to dry.

"And that's great." She turned to him. "But he's still not… Reacting the way I want him to."

Satoru tossed her a pair of thick, cotton, pants. "How exactly do you want him to react?"

"With fervor!"

Her companion tilted his head, and she sighed.

"I want him to do more, Satoru. To go out and ask Emi, to push for more favors from the higher ups, anything to show his interest. He has the connections, he has the power, that's why we need him!"

She felt the soothing effects of the warm pants as soon as she slid them on. Ley took a deep breath before continuing.

"I really thought that when I sent him the first letter, it would spark his curiosity, that he would dig around even loosely. But with this one, for sure, I thought he would do more than just try asking once before giving up."

Satoru nodded. He understood, she wanted to make sure he still cared enough about Yuna. "So you think, the new girl is keeping him busy?"

"Damn right." The chair groaned under her sudden pressure. "I'm sure if she weren't in the picture, he'd be all over this case by now. He could easily ask Emi for the name of the town where she was killed, and if he took two seconds to ask some elderly locals, or even the police there, he'd figure out by now that they never had any issues with groups of 'small time bandits'."

He had no reason to suspect Emi at first, the woman did her work in a detailed, and organized manner. Ley knew just how well, she'd done the paperwork herself so many times. But if he cared for Yuna the way he did during their time together, if he held on to those feelings til this day, he would be sniffing around, and finding the tiny inconsistencies with the story.

"I still think he would help, even without Yuna as a motive." Satoru didn't flinch as her eyes darkened. He grew immune years ago.

She sighed, doing her best to focus on the warm feelings radiating through her legs. "You don't understand, kid. He won't trust a total stranger, who also happens to be a missing nin, over the good ol' Head of the Tact Division. It just won't happen." No matter how wonderful, and generous the man was. "If I just meet him there's a good chance he'd kill me on the spot."

Afterall, he probably blamed her escape for Yuna's death, and the government had given out a "Kill on Sight" order, just for her.

"At least I hoped if he did his own research, and found enough inconsistencies, that I could come in to cement them as reality. But now…"

"We need to move on to plan C."

Ley nodded. "I've been working on that."

She pulled her bag from the table, and began rummaging through the endless pockets filled with scrolls. Satoru climbed off the bed and reached her in mere seconds.

"We're just going to have to be a little creative. But I'm sure, at least with this one, he'll have no option but to cooperate."

Satoru's eyes widened with excitement. He loved a good plan, especially when Ley looked so confident.

"Does it involve the look alike?"

Ley pulled out a small travel scroll. "Yeah."

{*12*}

Kaori leaned against the front desk, her long blue hair spilling over the wood like wrinkled mantle.

"Do you think we should tell her?"

Eito looked around before bringing his chair closer to his coworker. "Of course not," he hissed. "It's such a stupid rumor, it'll blow over in a few days."

It was honestly a huge miracle that such an outrageous story even made it off the ground, but here they were discussing whether to inform their boss about it.

Kaori didn't seem to least bit satisfied. She bit her lip and shuffled her legs. "But really Eito, you've seen how much they look alike."

No, he really hadn't. He was maybe a teen when this supposed Yuna person made the rounds, and at the time he held no interest in anything that didn't have to do with his trading card game. Eito only trailed Kaori by a year or two, and he was sure she also didn't know much about this Yuna person either.

"Look, two people looking alike happens. It just does! And I'm not going to risk my job to support some people with too much time on their hands."

"But I've seen the pictures of Yuna and the pictures of Hara, they're identical!" She looked around to make sure no one outside their private radius was listening into their conversation.

Eito rolled his eyes. "Again, two people looking alike doesn't mean…" He sighed exasperated. How could she even think there was any truth in this? "It doesn't mean she would do something like _**that**_ , Kaori. That's psychotic."

She nodded leaning away from the desk. "That's exactly the point, how mentally damaged one has to be to do something like that? And she is dating Yuna's former lover, you've seen them together!"

Eito couldn't argue with the last bit. Everyone saw them together these days. To be honest, they knew 95% of her absences could be traced back to the jonin. Their extra working hours looked wonderful in their paychecks, but for their boss? Not so much. "Do you really think a mentally damaged person would waste their money opening up this kind of store?"

Kaori shrugged adjusting her large sweater. "We'll find out soon," she replied. "You don't want to tell her, but she'll hear it from someone. And look around you." With a swing of her long legs, Kaori did a full twirl. The store was sparsely populated on a Friday, one of their normally busiest days.

Eito sighed. He still liked to blame the bad weather for their lack of customers.

"I'm going to start looking at the classifieds again."

"Kaori…"

"You should too."

 _ **Author's Note**_ : Got some really nice feedback on the last chapter, so I'll happily post this one earlier than scheduled :) Thank you for reading!


	13. Weary Week

_**Weary Week**_

Emi had a favor to ask of Kakashi. A job reached her desk earlier that day, pretty simple, but she needed to rotate the guys she sent off every year, and she could think of no one better than him.

The jonin stiffened, and his longtime friend quickly spread the scroll over the desk. "It's not _**that**_ mission," she assured him.

Kakashi nodded, doing his best to push the uncomfortable thoughts from his mind. Honestly, he had other reasons to feel strange just hearing about the favor, and this time, Yuna was not involved.

Emi sat up, crossing her legs, and lacing her fingers atop her bare knee. "She's the daughter of a minister who's been married to a politician's son as a prearranged agreement between families," she began. "Every once in a while her daddy gives her permission to have a private shinobi screw her brains out to keep her from walking out of such an important marriage. The woman is gorgeous."

Once people saw her flowing pink hair, and bright emerald eyes, her usual candidates generally didn't need any more facts to take up the job.

"Just really picky. And we could really use the donation her father gives on top of the payment."

Kakashi knew where this was going, and already memorized her speech about how underfunded they were, years ago. He took the mission scroll, and read through.

Her grey eyes drifted to the vintage clock on the faraway wall as she waited for her companion to take in the details of the assignment. She felt quite surprised. This particular errand fell along the lines of other assignments where Kakashi barely took a minute to accept.

Ah, but Emi knew it must have been that girl.

"Something the matter, Kakashi?"

Honestly, any other time, he would take the mission. Getting paid to do something he normally did for free was always his version of the perfect assignment. But now…

Kakashi hesitated. "I'm always worried about sleeping with a married woman," he lied.

Hara, and him hadn't spoken about where they stood relationship wise. Every time they met it still felt like something between a passionate one night stand, and a blossoming relationship.

They didn't hold hands, or kissed when meeting, or parting. There were no nicknames, demands for dates, or official titles. Mostly the duo still met at her bookstore, and spent their time discussing books, or just everyday occurrences. Aside from the fact that sometimes she would lie with him by the window sill to read, and he didn't have to be afraid of the consequences of his inevitable boner, things between them remained pretty unchanged.

Emi chuckled, leaning back against the leather chair. "Trust me, the guy knows."

He made his orders for a shinobi a few times a year as well.

The jonin sighed, his eyes still failing to absorb the mission statement.

"I see."

For all intents and purposes they were monogamous, and he couldn't deny the fact that he treated her like he did most of his old girlfriends. Maybe even better, actually. But she still spoke freely about leaving once she could afford to open her second store, and it seemed there was really no future for them.

So why was he thinking so hard about it? His one night stands, or occasional flings, never got a fleeting thought when he had to partake in these kinds of missions?

He sighed again. It shouldn't be such a serious thing, and if he didn't give Emi an answer soon, she would start asking questions.

"I'll take it."

She smiled. "Something serious must be going on with that girl for you to be so bothered with this."

He focused on the scars on her hands while she retrieved the paper to sign.

Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing serious," he replied. "Just want to make sure I don't have an angry husband coming for me after the fact."

Emi needed help, this was his type of assignment, and his relationship with Hara didn't have the necessary depth for it to be affecting his decision making when it came to these type of things.

The brunette dotted her signature with a resonating force. "Sure, sure."

He signed his name on the mission scroll, rolled it up, and placed it inside his jacket pocket.

"I'll see you in a week, Hatake."

He waved before closing the door, and disappearing down the hallway. Emi breathed out slowly, rocking herself into a lulling state on her favorite desk chair.

If she were superstitious, she'd see this as a clear sign of Yuna's revenge. The thought made her laugh.

Using a lookalike to disturb one her pawns with unwavering loyalty towards her? Classic.

But Emi didn't believe in funny ghost stories. Kakashi was replaceable, everyone was. And if Yuna would've been smart enough to understand that, she wouldn't have ended up in the place she was now.

{*13*}

Saturday night marked the end of an uneventful day. Hara strolled through the streets and shook her head.

That wasn't a good thing at all.

Her store hadn't seen much business, and this time she couldn't blame the weather. She sent Usagi home early, and only kept Eito hoping that it would eventually get busy. No such luck, and it scared her to know that she could have handled the store all by herself on what was supposed to be one of her busiest day.

Slow days were an unfortunate trend this week for Hara, and today she was forced to acknowledge that maybe she needed to look into the source of her dwindling clientele. How could her store go from beating expectations for almost a month and a half, to underperforming in less than a week?

The thought puzzled, and worried her.

After the night lights popped up around town, she knew she wouldn't find a single lunch special available. Still, she didn't have the mind to think up any recipe for dinner, and so she stopped by an ordering window of a restaurant frequently visited by Kakashi.

"Good evening!"

Hara smiled at the bowing waitress. "Good evening."

Her eyes scanned the small menu, and she decided early on that she had a craving for something spicy. Eggplant with garlic sauce, and chicken sautéed in chili.

The bubbly waitress sang her order back, meeting Hara's approving smile once she finished.

"Add an order of dumplings to that. Extra spicy."

Such a lively attitude made the Tea Country native want to buy everything on the menu. Maybe she needed to encourage her workers to be this upbeat.

Hara sighed, watching the waitress disappear behind the long, colorful, beaded curtains. She leaned against the window, the weight of her anxiety from such a crummy week, making her body feel sore. She really hoped Monday would offer a better perspective, otherwise she wouldn't be taking that trip to see her parents anytime soon.

Through the beaded curtain at the back of the ordering booth, Hara could see the small space where patrons sat to eat their meals. A few turned as her gaze finally settled in the room, while others didn't even try hiding their judgmental eyes.

She sat up.

Fantastic, did everyone suddenly remember that it was fun torturing her about looking like this Yuna person?

"One order of eggplant with garlic sauce, chicken sauteed in chili, and…" The girl looked down at her receipt. "Extra spicy dumplings."

Hara sighed, inhaling the aroma of freshly prepared food as the girl worked the register. It smelled good enough to make her forget about the stares, and she had a feeling it would taste good enough to block out the memories of such a terrible week.

The transaction dissolved into nighttime pleasantries. Hara counted her change quickly, before removing the bag from the wooden ledge.

"Take care!" But her attempt to match the waitresses upbeat attitude came too late.

Another worker joined the room, and as she quickly whispered into her younger companion's ear, Hara could feel her heart sink. The bubbly girl's smile melted, her brown eyes widening considerably.

Yup, they remembered, and Hara would have to deal with this bullshit again.

She walked away before her appetite could fully be eradicated by such a crap ending to an otherwise pleasant encounter.

Kakashi would be back Tuesday morning he said, the day that Aunt Flo made her scheduled visit. This would be another shit-tastic week, she could already feel it.

{*13*}

Kakashi had a bad feeling on his way back to Konoha. He ordered the wrong thing at the restaurant, gotten a stomach ache after eating it, and received another memo from Big Sister.

Yeah, he was really getting tired of that last one.

This time, she wrote down a what he could only infer be a meeting spot, and the thought of whether to attend, or not, pestered Kakashi through the last hours of his resting time.

The jonin pressed the pillow tighter onto his face. He felt the beads of sweat already forming on his forehead, but he didn't care. Shutting out any vision of the outside world seemed to be the only way for him to concentrate at the moment, and he needed to desperately come up with a solution before the 8 o'clock deadline.

He _**saw**_ Yuna's body. He remembered every scratch, the deep wound over her stomach, and the scar running between her breasts from a mission earlier in her career.

Emi explained everything in detail while he stood over his deceased lover; how her heroic death saved the nearby town from these delinquents, how she embodied everything that Konoha stood for, and the fact that they believed her death came quick, so she didn't suffer all that much.

Emi gave him details, reports, a body to grieve over. All this Big Sister presented was a mission report that could have easily been forged by any former Root operative with enough time, and determination. Both qualities that she seemed to have. This smelled like a perfectly thought out ambush, and he wasn't falling for it.

He still nurtured feelings for Yuna, really he did, and he would always keep her in his heart. But he wasn't stupid enough to walk blinding into a meeting just at the mention of her name.

His chest felt hot now, and the heat rose all around his naked torso and legs. The jonin pressed the pillow a little tighter over his face. It was all he could do to keep himself from screaming.

He'd have nightmares about their last meetings, and how things could have been different. And he'd have to deal with that nagging thought that asked 'what if'?

What if it wasn't a scam?

What if she was alive?

No.

He turned to the other side, resting his head on his forearm.

Maybe he just needed an alcohol induced sleep. A hangover right before traveling was better than trying to face any of this.

{*13*}

Hara went to her store earlier than usual that morning. Sunday didn't lift her spirits as she hoped, and for once she looked forward to working that Monday. Really, she didn't care how exhausted she felt at the end of the day, as long as she had customers in her store, she wouldn't even complain.

She took a deep breath, grasped the handle, and pulled.

"Hey."

Eito's solemn greeting filled her ears. He looked disappointed, and she could see why.

The store was empty. Not a soul. Even his shift partner seemed to be missing.

"Please tell me everyone's in the basement," she pleaded.

He shook his head, his gaze following hers as they took in the sunny room.

"Why is this happening to me?"

Her frustrated cry made him cringe. Had it been him, he would have had a nervous breakdown, or two, by now. So really, he understood perfectly.

The opening month had been so great, and yes she expected things to slow down, but this? This was too much? Not a single customers today. Yesterday she serviced a meager six all day. On a Sunday! Her supposed peak day! She didn't understand, it's not like she could blame it on her nonexistent competition.

"People were eager to buy during the first month, and even if they weren't buying, they were reading. It doesn't make sense."

Eito sighed. "I have possible explanation."

She rushed to his side, an obvious desperation clinging to her eyes. "Tell me."

"Well," he began. "Unfortunately, it's the rumors."

"What rumors?"

"I don't know too well," the young man admitted. Gossiping didn't take much part of his daily life. "But it's something about you killing Yuna to gain Kakashi's attention, or something. Usagi and Kaori know more about it than I do. They could possibly be of more help."

Hara struggled to close her mouth. "Who the hell came up with this crap?"

Eito shrugged. "No idea," he breathed. "I honestly thought it was the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But when people really made an effort they would believe even this level of garbage."

She nodded. At least she wasn't going crazy, there was a small group of sane people in this town after all. "Where is Usagi? She was supposed to open the store today?"

The brunette's mind raced to come up with a decent plan to tackle this issue. First things first; get the whole story.

Eito retrieved two neatly stacked envelopes, extending them to his boss. "They both quit this morning."

Her heart sank as he pulled out a third.

"It's nothing personal," he apologized. "But at this rate you're not going to be able to afford keeping me, and I have bills to pay. It's been going on for a little over a week now, and considering there is no one in the store, it means it's picking up steam."

At this rate, they both knew it wouldn't be dying down anytime soon.

Her fingers wrapped around the envelopes, but her mind refused to acknowledge the sensation as real.

"Maybe you should consider closing the store for a few days, investigate the source of the problem, and try to fix it?"

If she were to eradicate this issue, and get her clientele back, he'd love to come on board. "Again, I'm really sorry."

Hara accepted his resignation with a solemn smile. She couldn't argue with his reasoning, at this rate, she really couldn't afford to keep anyone.

She closed the door, switching the welcome sign to 'closed' before lowering the blinds. From behind the front desk she pulled out Kakashi's favorite pillow. She didn't feel herself walk towards his favorite spot by the window, or when her body lied down on the wooden ledge. By the time her mind caught up with her new reality, Hara was already crying, contemplating what else could possibly go wrong.


	14. The End

_**The End**_

The night had already matured into a busy Monday bustle when Hara felt brave enough to leave her store. She walked quickly amongst the crowd, the large hood over her head doing little to comfort the swollen bubble of anxiety that prickled through her skin. They couldn't see her face, but they could **_feel_** her chakra, and that was as good as her running naked through the village. Her eyes stuck to the dirt road where night lights painted her path in flashy designs, and vivid hues. Still, her mind refused to let the lively street distract her from the dismal black and white that made up her new reality.

She'd have to take Eito's advice and close the store for a few days. With no workers to help, and no clients to buy, Hara knew that the possibility of days stretching into weeks, was very real.

 _Shit_!

The winter wind blew with a terrifying force, and for a moment the entire street stopped to brace for the shock. She held her hat in place, her fingers burning with the icy impact, but in her mind, Hara couldn't afford to do otherwise. She needed the flimsy comfort of her hood, if only to make it the rest of her twelve minute trip home.

The wind calmed, and the frustrated scream inside her head echoed that much louder.

Hara felt a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly the realization that she still wasn't home, dawned on the young woman. This wasn't the place to throw herself a pity party, or the safest spot to stop and examine everything going wrong with her life. Her body jumped, only to be subdued by a quick, and familiar apology.

"Sorry."

Shizune's laugh stirred a relieved sigh out of her. Hara felt her shoulders relax, and she turned to the medic.

"Ah, Shizune." She did her best to hide her face, but her attempt to cover her nerves failed before Shizune even approached her. "I was just a little distracted."

"I know." She linked her arms to the civilian's, and began guiding her down the busy road. "I'll walk you home, it'll be safer."

Hara couldn't say no to such an amazing offer. At least with a badass ninja woman by her side, she could breathe easier.

"Have you heard the rumors too?"

Shizune nodded, turning a corner into a less populated street. It would add a few minutes to their journey, but at least they could talk without much interruption.

"Yeah…" Street lamps lit up as they wandered up a narrow slope. "A week ago when I first heard the story pop up, I thought it would never take off. Some jealous women, who were probably dumped by Kakashi, didn't like you, or something of the sort. It wasn't unheard of for people to get petty over a partner."

But then it got this bad, and she had no idea why.

Hara lifted her gaze for a moment. At least two sane people in town. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

"Do you know the full story?"

There would be no fixing this issue if she didn't have at least the general details, and the civilian truly feared finding out from someone who actually believed this crap.

"Well," Shizune hesitated. She checked her surroundings as they entered another solitary residential street. More piled up snow cramped their way, but all the civilian chakra she felt around her, were tucked in their homes. "A friend of yours came to the village to say that you were some sort of psychotic stalker."

Hara stopped, and Shizune retrieved her hand. "Friend?"

The kunoichi nodded. "I haven't seen her," she admitted. "But she distributed pictures of you two together. You looked kind of different, as if those teenage years weren't very forgiving to you either."

She nodded quickly. Yes, yes, she didn't magically evolve into a clear skin, busty, full haired woman up until the very end of the puberty trip, when most of her family had already lost hope. But what of it?

"So," she breathed in. "So, how does that make me a psycho stalker, or whatever?"

"All of those pictures have Kakashi in the background."

Her mouth gaped with disbelief. A friend, with pictures that included Kakashi in the background? What kind of twisted…

"She said that you fell in love with Kakashi during your teenage years, when he started to do that transport job twice a year for your family."

"But I never met him!" She assured. "He said he does a job for the Situ family, and I knew he meant the company, but that's Alma's territory, not mine."

Shizune nodded, doing her best to keep the civilian calm. Her frustration was undoubtedly justifiable, but expressing them so loudly on a quiet street defeated the purpose of coming to a private area in the first place.

"I know, but that's just what I heard." She hoped her hushed tone would encourage Hara to lower her voice, but as her companion's cheeks reddened, and her eyes closed, Shizune decided that it was best if she just got everything out of the way. At least then she could just let Hara gather all her anger into one solid outburst, and they could run out of there when the neighborhood inevitably came out to see who disturbed their dinner.

"She said you'd come to vacation in Konoha, and just spend your days following him and taking pictures of him, or with him in the background doing everyday things. Once you went home, you'd just worship these photographs until your next visit."

Hara leaned against the nearest concrete wall, and Shizune prepared her joints to make a sudden dash. Her companion looked pale, and her chakra spiked all over the place. If the civilian fainted here, the medic wouldn't be surprised.

"But… But that's not true…"

"I know… But the photos were pretty convicting."

"So now people think I'm a stalker who tricked him into a relationship, or something?"

Really, who came up with this crap? Who had the time, the patience, the imagination, the hatred for her, to create such an elaborate story, with witnesses, and pictures to boot?

Shizune shook her head. "Worse."

Fuck this village! They didn't need to be reading anymore fantasy books, they could be writing them!

"What's worse?"

"Well…" Shizune scratched the back of her head, her eyes landing on a small pile of dirty snow by the wooden gate of the home where they stood. This part made her really uncomfortable. "According to this person, when you saw Kakashi with Yuna, you were so overcome with jealousy, that you had your parents buy you a kill… And your family is kind of… Influential..."

Not that she thought any of this was true, but the general view of most rich families across the globe, was that they could buy their way out of crime with a single drop from their endless flowing river of money. Shizune witnessed such disgusting behavior plenty of times, most villagers did as well. A closely related source, bearing pictures, and proof of Hara's real family name? Yeah, the story was made easy to swallow on purpose.

"I'm not saying I believe them," she clarified quickly. "But that's just what I've heard."

Hara closed her eyes, slumping against the wall. She landed on a concentrated pile of snow, but her body couldn't register the cool sensation.

"Do you want to hear the rest?"

Shizune knelt beside her.

There was more? "Go for it."

If she just pretended this was a book, she'd could at least say that the story entertained her pretty well.

"Well," the medic cleared her throat. "Once Yuna disappeared, you spent the next seven years getting cosmetic surgery to look like her. Then you opened a bookstore to fully attract Kakashi, and here we are today."

"Wow…"

What had she done to earn so much hatred from these people, that they would believe this level of garbage?

"It sounds ridiculous, but the person came prepared to back her statements up." Shizune sat by her side, adding a thick layer of chakra to keep them both from having numb bottoms. "But you dating Kakashi just adds fuel to the fire. So really, if you wants this to die down, you guys should either lay low, or if it's just a fling, stop it all together."

Shizune didn't encourage giving into mob mentality, but in this case, she didn't think the civilian had much of a choice.

"I didn't think it would get this serious," she laughed. Hara leaned her head against the wall, the night suddenly running circles around her vision.

"So you knew about them?"

She nodded. "He told me after we spent our first night together. Tripped me up a bit. No one wants to hear that you look identical to their dead ex lover, but he seemed so honest when he said he liked me as an individual."

Shizune managed to chuckle despite the initial shock. The kunoichi really thought a person would have to be armed with an iron stomach to go through with such a relationship. But then it was Kakashi, and at least he tried being responsible by informing her.

"Since I opened the store, the villagers had started treating me as a separate entity from this Yuna person, and I knew seeing us hanging out had a chance to revive those stupid comments, but he was really great to be around. I wanted to think it would blow over just like the first time."

Or at least that her and Kakashi would grow bored of each other after spending too much time together.

"I heard he's quite magical in bed," Shizune adopted her companion's stance, and they both stared into the cloudless sky. "It's not unheard of for women to lose their rational mind over him."

"That's not even the scariest part about him."

A cold wind swept through the narrow street.

"It's how he doesn't try to charm you that really makes it hard to think straight," the civilian continued.

Shizune nodded. She heard that too.

"I just wanted it to be a game, you know?"

Talk, put into practice all the perverted stuff they liked to read about, and then go their separate ways at the end of the day. Repeat for a couple of months, and then cut things off when the excitement of the "relationship" inevitably waned.

Maybe it was all those nights they spent at each other's place, or the fact that their conversations lasted hours more than with anyone else. Hara should have known things would get messy the moment he began asking to hang out… Just simply hang out.

They both sighed.

"The first rule to this game is to never start it with someone you have too much in common with."

Hara laughed. "Considering I've had more fuckbuddies than actual realationships, you'd think I know that by now."

The medic smiled. She picked at the opening of her kimono, looping a loose thread around her finger. "You two even have that in common."

"Well fuck then…" It seemed they were doomed to fail before things even started.

For a moment they were quiet again, while Shizune allowed her companion to comfortably absorb the happenings of that night. She continued to play with some more loose threads, quietly thinking about a replacement for her favorite garment. It was due time for an upgrade, and maybe she would give jeans a try as her boyfriend so fervently recommended.

"You're right, I do need to cut it off."

They could both hear the hesitation in such a short answer. Shizune nodded, encouraging the younger woman to go on.

"But he's been such a good companion to me in this village, so it's a bit sad to let things go like that."

The kunoichi shrugged, watching some fleeting figures cross through the rooftops.

"Good sex with an interesting person isn't worth losing your life's work for."

Hara nodded quietly, feeling her stomach turn with the knowledge that she ended up in this situation because of her own irresponsible and impulsive nature.

Each time she left work early to explore the town with him, all those days they used each other's apartment as a revolving door, and those nights that they both came out of her store in the late hours? People were watching, talking, putting theories together to create a grand story where Kakashi was the victim trying to relive a past love, and she was a manipulative cunt reeling him in to satisfy her selfish desires.

She should have ended things after the first night. The circumstances were laid out so perfectly for her to do so too.

This was the reason she couldn't succeed amongst the business savvy people in her family. This was the reason her parents planned for her failure, and thought she'd be better off married to someone who could make all the important decisions in her life, while she made designer babies, and hosted cocktail parties.

She was stupid. Irresponsible, impulsive, and stupid.

"Yeah…"

Maybe this was fate's way of forcing her to acknowledge her priorities.

"Thank you, Shizune."

The medic smiled. "Anytime."

{*14*}

"Irrational decisions look so sexy in books, no?"

Kakashi smiled, sitting back against her couch. It wasn't a natural reaction to the statement, but he didn't think Hara noticed. She wasn't looking at him, her eyes focused more on her nails as she nervously picked at them.

The jonin hadn't felt like smiling since being greeted at the Hokage's tower by Shizune that afternoon. She told him he was in deep shit, but not the kind where she pulled his ear until the cartilage felt traumatized. Right now he could probably use one of those ear pulls. No, he was in 'I actually feel sorry for you' deep shit, and Kakashi hated those above all.

"But in real life, they rarely end up giving off good results," she continued.

He nodded this time. "Do you regret it?"

She gifted him with a genuine smile. Under the setting sun that dressed the living room in a luminous gold, she looked so sweet to him. Her white shirt didn't look sexy, no matter how much cleavage the low cut of the front showed off. And her pants? They hugged her curves so well, but they still didn't make him lust after her in their usual manner.

"Only if you tell me that the reason we went out so often was because you were taking me to places that made you think of her."

Because sometime during their adventures, his mind evolved past his lustful desires towards her, and now saw the civilian as much more than just a sexual partner. Kakashi would miss her, all of her.

He shook his head fiercely. "I just wanted to get to know Hara better," he reassured. "And I'm sorry I didn't exert more control of our outings, but they honestly felt like such brief moments… I wanted to think no one was paying attention."

She laughed, nodding along to his words. Those hours together did go by fast, and maybe if she didn't look like Yuna, those outings wouldn't have been enough to rise anyone's suspicion.

But she did look like Yuna, enough to make everyone care about what she did with her private life.

From the moment she walked in through those gates, each random point of similarities that these people could pick apart, every skeptic gaze that questioned Hara as an individual human, should have told her just how important this Yuna person was to them. It should have inspired her to dig a little deeper into Kakashi's past relationship with this woman, maybe ask some questions… Get to know the real mess she was getting herself into.

"Then I can't regret it." Hara shook her head, gathering some of her loose hair behind her ear. "Those were fun memories to make."

"I'm sorry you had to go through this."

She nodded, resting her chin on her knee. "Me too."

Maybe if she properly examined the depth of the villager's adoration for Yuna, it could have driven her to uphold their initial agreement to keep things simple. They could've made quieter memories, and maybe none of this would've happened.

"She must have been a great person for the village to be so protective of her image, and anything associated with her."

Kakashi braved a quick glance, before settling on his interlacing fingers. "Not necessarily."

"Oh?"

He breathed out. "We were just a couple," the jonin admitted. "No one showed up to her funeral, and her name was rarely mentioned up until you came to the village."

She rested her forehead on her knee for a moment. Well, at least if she had carelessly tarnished the image of a great person, then Hara could feel sympathetic towards the villager's hatred for her. But really? They were just famous for being a couple?

 _Out of all the people to look like…_

"So people aren't even mad because I dishonored some great person," she laughed. "They're really just just spreading this shit for the sake of entertainment?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly. It made him embarrassed that his fellow citizens would behave in such a manner.

Now what was left for her to do then? How could she untangle herself from a mess where people wanted to believe she was evil no matter what?

"In my country, I live under my family's shadow."

His eyes perked up for a brief second, until he felt jealous that the sun could touch her skin in ways that he no longer could.

"And here, I live under Yuna's."

They were quiet again, and the overwhelming feel of their eminent goodbye seeped through the atmosphere until neither felt comfortable.

"I think you should go."

Hara didn't have much experience breaking off such a relationship. Usually they dissolved on their own, no mess, no goodbyes.

Kakashi looked up, the abrupt ending leaving him unable to speak. She was smiling again, and maybe doing it this way wasn't such a bad idea. He liked the last memory of her being in such a lovely state.

He did his best to act as bravely as she had, but his smile couldn't blossom as potently as hers. "I hope we can talk again someday." The jonin regretted not leaving her with a good image for her to remember him by, but he hoped his words would at least make up for his lack of physical appeal… That is, if she wanted to remember him at all.

She dismissed him with a quiet wave, and Kakashi disappeared through the balcony before the emotional weight of such a moment made him second guess himself.

Hara waited for his body to be a speck in the horizon before finally standing up. She released a frustrated groan into the empty apartment, not caring in the least if her neighbors dared to complain.

It took so much effort to act brave and put together the smooth, cohesive sentences she managed to speak. Several times the civilian felt her control slip, and her broken inner self threatened to expose her as a fraud.

She wasn't cool, she didn't feel collected, and every time she smiled she felt her eyes sting with the desire to let everything go, and cry.

Hara sighed running to the door where he hung his scarf upon coming in. She grabbed it and held it close, burying her face on the smooth, green fabric. She knew if she made it quick and painless, he would probably leave the garment behind, and now more than ever she needed to hold on to such a small piece of him.

He'd been her comfort this entire time, and even though it cost her this much, she would miss him terribly. It would do her good to start forgetting about the man, and move on to how to get herself out of this mess. But as she felt the softness of the fabric, and his gentle scent so richly embedded in every stitch, Hara decided that she would think about that later.

Right now she wanted to mourn all the good memories they made together.

{*14*}

"Anything?"

Satoru smiled proudly at his master who sat by the window tiredly leaning against the thin glass. She looked strange wearing civilian attire, mostly because he rarely saw her in anything other than black.

"We got his attention!"

She sat up, eyes wide with excitement.

"He's investigating the rumors, using everyone at his disposal to get to the bottom of it," the younger man continued.

He sat on the bed closer to Ley, and watched as his companion released a joyful sigh. She covered her face with the sleeves of her large, gray sweater, and squealed.

"Took him long enough."

Satoru laughed. He loved seeing her this happy, especially after a weekend of sulking because she couldn't find her last target.

"How far has he gotten?"

"He acquired a picture, and will probably try to verify the authenticity now." He removed his hat, and began undoing the green braid over his shoulder.

Ley nodded. "Perfect."

She wanted to have all six girls located before getting a chance to speak with Kakashi, but that wouldn't be happening anymore. She got five out of seven, and that would have to do. Yuna was really the only one he cared about anyway, and all she needed now was to outline everything she wanted to address with the jonin. She only had one shot to convince him, and she needed to do a damn good job.

"I think if Big Sister sends him one more invitation, he'll take it."

Satoru was already busy looking through the drawers full of takeout menus.

"And this time," he said, triumphantly holding out one from his favorite restaurant. "You should include an extra piece, to let him know you're responsible for the copycat's issues as well."

Her face soured, and Ley returned to resting against the window. She hated how much she had to depend on his affair with the copycat to reel him in, but it was the only thing that worked to grab his attention. "I will."

"Wonderful."

He reached for the phone, and made himself comfortable against the stacked pillows. Delivering such wonderful news required celebratory splurging, and Ley probably wouldn't complain if he finally got that shrimp in lobster sauce he'd been craving.


	15. Karma

_**Karma**_

Shizune found Kakashi at the famous ramen spot, twirling some vegetables around his soup, while Teuchi worked at the back for the store to give the jonin some privacy. His headband sat by the side of his untouched serving of pickled radish, and she took in the rare sight of his loose hair before joining him in the adjacent seat.

"Have you gone to visit Hara yet?"

They spoke briefly when she met him upon his return from his last mission, but she hadn't gotten a moment to catch up to him post fiasco. That was over a week ago, giving him plenty of time to get such an important chore done.

"Yeah."

"And?"

Kakashi rested the chopsticks against the rim of the bowl. "She wasn't mad," he smiled. "Just disappointed that it got this bad."

Shizune felt terrible, this wasn't the image of Konoha she wanted portrayed to other countries. "Well…"

The medic hadn't fully wrapped her head around the ordeal. On the one hand Hara knew about his relationship with Yuna, which would explain her lack of anger, however, Shizune still couldn't understand how they could be so careless.

"I'm guessing you've agreed to stay away from each other?"

Kakashi nodded. "Not much else to do."

At least they both seemed to realize that they were at fault, and were acting appropriately.

Teuchi finally turned, and Shizune signaled a number four to the store owner. He smiled and began the preparations for her teriyaki ramen.

"I managed to get one of those supposed pictures that people have been spreading." Kakashi extended a small envelope to his companion, who examined it briefly before accepting. "And I was wondering if you could get in contact with Hara's sister to verify the legitimacy?"

Ah, so he hadn't fully dropped the relationship. She sighed tapping the envelope against her palm. "Even if Alma tells you it's fake, no one's going to believe you. That's her sister, she's supposed to defend Hara."

"I'm more interested in the friend," the jonin admitted. "Was she really Hara's friend? If so, why would she do that to her?"

He wanted to get to the bottom of this embarrassing, and terrible ordeal, while working as quietly as possible. Maybe they'd still have to stay away from each other even if he managed to fix things, but at least it would lessen the guilt he felt knowing that he was partially responsible.

Shizune tucked the envelope in her purse, and threw the black satchel back over her thigh. "Was it that serious?" She asked. "Between you two?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted. "In the beginning it didn't feel serious, we were friends and then **_she_** took the leap into making it more intimate."

Shizune laughed. That last tidbit was certainly noteworthy for a man like him. Well, most men actually.

"But even then, she didn't look like she wanted something serious out of it."

"And you?

They both watched as Teuchi strained some vegetables over a steaming pot.

It was Kakashi's turn to laugh. "I didn't want anything serious either, but here I am." He flickered the chopsticks until they rolled halfway around the bowl. "It's so cliche too, drinking my own medicine."

She smiled, but soon their quiet chuckle got lost in the sound of sizzling meat. "All those years of using women's infatuation for you to sleep with them, and then discard them, have finally caught up to you."

"I really did try staying away from her at first," he assured. "Went out of my way to avoid anything to do with her so we wouldn't end up in this sort of crappy situation. I knew that if I were ever to become interested in her, people would just say it was because she looked like Yuna."

"And it wasn't?"

"No."

She tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

Kakashi nodded more confidently this time. "They don't even look alike in my eyes. If you've ever known identical twins, you know that after some time they start looking like different people. You start noticing personality quirks that that don't match, and your brain somehow zooms in on physical trait that are slightly different, which creates a completely different image of these two people."

Sure from some angles, it could still be hard to tell them apart, but no more than anyone else who looked similar to another stranger.

"I know they look alike, even when I first met Hara the similarities were shocking." He hadn't thought about that in what felt like too long. It just didn't seem to fit his image of her anymore, and now the jonin felt embarrassed by his reaction. "But I swear Shizune, I don't even think of Yuna when I'm with her. I only think of her as an individual, and that's who I'm interested in."

She sighed, signaling Teuchi to make her order to go. If she left now, she could drop off the envelope to the mailing team, and make it just in time to watch her drama.

"I know your love life is none of my business, but I feel better knowing that I'm not just helping with some interim fling."

"Thanks, Shizune." He truly appreciated any support she was willing to extend.

"Yeah." She patted his back with a gentle, sisterly rub. For such a pain in the neck, the medic truly cared about him, specially when he finally started acting like a normal human being. "I'll reach out to you as soon as I get the information from Alma. Maybe you can start tracing the source of the story in the meantime. Ino should be a good start."

Their investigation styles were so similar. "I'll be dropping by as soon as she gets back from a mission."

Shizune stood up, and accepted the bag from Teuchi. "Good luck to you, then."

She waved, and he returned the gesture with a little more vigor than when their conversation started.

Ah, now he owed her some major favors.

"I couldn't help but hear in on the conversation," the store owner spoke. "And I'm really sorry for that."

Kakashi waved him off, picking up his chopsticks. Really the old man knew more about him than anyone in the village.

"But I think you should bring that girl around. I'll even close up the shop when she's in here so you two can eat undisturbed."

Kakashi smiled at the fatherly figure. Really, that man had too much kindness in his heart. "Thank you Teuchi-san. She could probably use some time outside of her apartment."

"Everyone can use a little distraction from the hardships of life," he replied warmly. "Even if you're not around, tell her she can come on her own."

Kakashi stood up and bowed to the veteran cook. "Thank you, I'll be sure to pass on the message."

{*15*}

A thin fog settled among the wide contours of Laurel street, filling the space in places where people normally stood. Bars looked sparsely populated, and snack stands shuttered their windows earlier than scheduled. Not the best Wednesday night, a fried noodle vendor commented as Kakashi took the bulk of his production for the night. The jonin let him keep the change, and wished him better luck tomorrow, before returning to the road.

His fingers grasped the bag, nervously loosening and strengthening the grip to accommodate the shifting thoughts coursing through his brain. Quietly he counted to ten, and stopped as he took in the atmosphere around him.

Civilians outnumbered the shinobi population, and the chakra was scattered widely among the few open businesses. Not a single person passed him by during that moment, and the only one that would in a few minutes still had plenty of materials to put away before fully closing up shop. Kakashi took one last glance around the rare sight of a quiet Laurel street, and sighed.

For a moment he hesitated, this lack of self control is what got them into this situation in the first place. He gave a brief glance towards the noodle merchant as he lost himself in the endless compartments under his cart, and Kakashi found the strength to knock on the door before him.

Silence.

Another glance, and the missing figure of the old man behind the stand gave Kakashi the green light to make his urgency a little more clear in his next knock.

"It's just me," he finally said as the figure lingered by the door. She didn't move. "I'll get you peanuts if you open the door, Hara."

The latch finally unlocked, and he hurried inside before giving her a chance to properly verify.

"I'm really sorry," he breathed. "But…"

She scratched the side of her head, dismissing him with a simple wave. "It's fine."

He tried to resist a smile, it really wasn't the place to…. But he always loved seeing her disoriented, and messy when she woke up. The strange and scratchy depth to her voice, the little pink bloat her cheeks developed, even the mess of curls that seem to gain a life of their own after some tossing, and turning.

"I was just scared it was someone here to kill me," she smiled.

Oh yeah, that sleepy smile. He missed her.

Kakashi shook his head. "I was just wondering why you would be here so late into the night."

He followed her to his favorite spot, which had been turned into her sleeping quarters. She sat amongst the blankets and pillows, lifting the heaviest cover to keep her legs warm. The atmosphere felt just a notch warmer than outside, but not enough for her leggings to be sufficient clothing for her.

"I went out this afternoon to meet up with my realtor," she said. "But even though I tried choosing a time where most people are at work, and kids are in school, I still couldn't make it further than this."

Kakashi chose to sit on the floor, against a sturdy bookcase. "Did someone try-"

She shook her head. "It's not a civilian village," she reminded him. "And that neat trick where you used to find me using my chakra, people are using that to recognize me even if cover myself from head to toe."

Ah… That made sense. "But no one tried to hurt you?" He pressed. Because if they did… The jonin sighed as she shook her head.

"Just stared a lot," she shrugged. "And it felt uncomfortable. They weren't even whispering, just talking as if they wanted me to hear. Looking, and pointing as if they wanted me to know that they knew. I got anxious and ran here."

They were quiet for a moment, and Kakashi was the first to drop his gaze.

"I waited a little, then I fell asleep. Kept waking up, and putting myself to sleep hoping to find a good time when there wasn't a lot of people."

But she was a civilian who couldn't read chakra signatures, and the task proved rather fruitless. She'd have to open the door to check the flow of citizens on such a popular street, and the thought caused another wave of crippling anxiety that encouraged one last push for a longer rest. Seven hours, she calculated, and now it was sometime past midnight.

"I'm really happy to see you though," she laughed nervously. "And I know we agreed to keep our distance, but since you're here anyways…"

"Of course."

She didn't even have to ask. He'd already made a mental note of how many weapons he was carrying, and how each of them could be used as a torture device if she even hinted at being assaulted by anyone. Taking her home wasn't even an option for her at this point. Her safety, even when not together, was still his priority.

"Just this once," she assured, enclosing her fingers in the overflowing sleeves of her blue sweater.

Kakashi nodded absently, already knitting together a possible solution that would allow her to at least walk more freely around town. He'd tighten his thoughts before dropping her off, but for now… "I'm guessing you haven't eaten anything?"

He pushed himself from the bookcase and held up the bag to Hara. She looked haggard, and Kakashi knew the bags under her eyes were the product of many days with little sleep. Even her oversized sweater looked heavy on her thinning frame.

"I'm not really hungry," she admitted. "But I did eat today."

An apple before leaving the house, but it kept her alive for these past twelve hours, and her stomach felt too crowded with anxiety to complain.

"Still," he scooted over, and placed the bag next to her. "Maybe you can heat it up for lunch tomorrow, or have it for breakfast."

Kakashi didn't like to advocate the consumption of junk food, but this was an exception. He'd experience such days where depression assaulted the body with Herculean vigor, and he understood that any food eaten was a victory worth celebrating.

"Thanks."

He was satisfied even with the smallest of smiles.

They were silent for a brief moment, but Kakashi didn't allow it to expand until they both drifted into their own activities. He missed those times, but for now, he wanted to fill this particular instant with words, until his decision to put them at risk of being found by someone else, made sense.

"If you're visiting your realtor, does that mean you're moving?"

Hara shrugged as she stacked the pillows against the wall. "Dunno, if I can get someone to buy the bookstore at least, that would be fantastic." Though with her luck… She settled against her cushy backrest. "Ideally I could sell this place and even if my apartment takes longer, I can still move back to Nari to wait that out."

"Even if somehow, the misunderstanding manages to resolve itself?"

She smiled, and her tired eyes landed on him. "Even if the misunderstanding manages to resolve itself," the civilian repeated.

Her companion sighed, and scratched at the back of his head. Those weren't the words he'd been looking for.

"This is my karma, you know?"

Kakashi looked up, and tilted his head.

She laughed.

Maybe it was the lack of food, or sleep. The overwhelming anxiety, and desperation to speak to another person could also contribute to such a strange topic, but she knew he'd listen. According to books she liked to read, shinobi were rational creatures, and such a superstitious belief may not be his cup of tea, but Hara just needed him to listen.

"How so?"

And being that it was Kakashi, she knew he'd pretend to care, just because he was such a gentleman.

That was good enough for her. "I had a bookstore in Nari not too long ago." She tossed one of her many pillows at her companion, who caught it with ease. This would probably be a long story. "I opened it after I failed to step out of my sister's shadow, and hoped that maybe if I focused on something I loved, I could just find my own place in the world."

Kakashi nodded, choosing to use the pillow for his lower back.

"It was a lot more fun than a thought. I met so many people who loved books as much as I did, made actual friends, and gave people a safe place to run to when life just got really shitty."

She did for her customers, what bookstores had done for her all her life; helped her forget about the outside world.

"But just like with everything else, my sales weren't up to par. Average at most, maybe good on the holiday seasons, but I wasn't anything to look at. At first it didn't bother me. It was still enough to keep my business afloat, and live a decent life," she shrugged. "But if my sister handled my store, it would've crushed the competition, and if my dad took over? No question that by the end of the year he would've expanded all over the world."

"Ah…" So that's what she meant when she said she lived under her family's shadow during their last meeting.

"People liked to joke about it, over dinner, while I bought a coffee, when I went to get my nails done at the salon. Slowly I started doing a little sale here and there, splurged on some nice decoration, promoted events, but I always stood shoulder to shoulder with the competition. After about a year, I decided to close the store, and reassess my plans."

Hara sighed, and gathered her knees to her chest. She hadn't spoken this much in what felt like an eternity, and she was thankful for how attentive he looked.

"I decided to try Konoha next. You guys were just starting the reconstruction process, and surely I could make my name from here. Then I'd go to small towns, and use my success from this village to attract investors, and customers. I felt confident, and even Alma finally gave me her approval for this project. Started out great, you saw it."

He sure did, and it made him feel guilty to have ever wished things would slow down just so she could stay in konoha a little longer. Kakashi lowered his eyes, but Hara didn't mind. She took a quick peek through the curtains, where she could see a few civilians making their way down the streets.

"It started off almost the same." As if the universe was giving her a second chance to focus on the things that made the first store such a fun project. Another chance to carve her own name into the village. "The villagers were finally talking to me about normal things, and I was getting close to my employees as if we were friends. Yet, the store was doing so good that my thought once again shifted to how I could use this to prove myself to my parents."

The images of a drunken group making their way down the dusty road didn't keep her attention for long. She closed the curtain again, leaving the rooftop windows as their only light source.

"I ignored my customers, the potential friendships, the chance to get to know the people around me, and build deep rooted relationships with my environment. I was more proud that the store was doing good enough to be deemed a success by my family. I wanted them to say that I finally did something better than Alma, and now look at me."

She paused for a moment, filling her lungs with a cool breath, before releasing a week's worth of silent reflection.

"People are treating me, like I treated my store. I had no real emotional connection to this place, it was just a store that would get me to the next store, and so on. No one but you really got to know me in this village, and now I'm just a fun gossip story until something else comes to entertain them."

Kakashi shook his head. "You still don't deserve any of this."

He killed people, tortured others, aided in the collapse of a government, or two; if this was her punishment for taking care of wanting to fit in with her family more than nurturing the store that truly made her happy, then he didn't want to see what karma had in store for him.

"I'm going to miss you the most when I leave here, ya know?"

Her grin held the same enthusiasm that made his attraction for her run so deep, and he could at least say that his decision to come into the store, was worth every minute.

"Flattered."

His nonchalant reply made her smile. "Thanks for always listening to my rambling."

About books, food, sex, and karma. And he didn't call her crazy once. Such a gentleman.

Kakashi stood up. "Anytime."

And he meant that.

For the past week, he entertained himself with the thought of their first boundary crossing conversation, the one where she wanted to hire him through Tact. Juggling different scenarios where they continued a relationship through his job, gave Kakashi a pleasant way to accept their new agreement, while also building up just enough hope to keep the hurt away. Maybe he'd offer such an unconventional proposal once things settled, or maybe he'd just continue using such a fantasy as a vehicle into full detachment.

Even if she only hired him to talk about books like they did during their first weeks of meeting, he'd be endlessly grateful.

"Let's get you home."

{*15*}

Kakashi left Bull with Hara that night. He was a low maintenance dog, didn't like to talk, great cuddler, and wasn't a picky eater. The next morning she found a large blanket on her balcony for him to sleep on, as well as food for Bull, and some necessities for her.

He advised her to take him whenever she went out. Very few people would recognize him as Kakashi's pet, but even if they did, it didn't matter; the jonin wanted them to know he was still protecting her.

Bull was a trained ninken, and had been specifically instructed to protect her well being. If she found herself in serious danger, or even if she just wanted Kakashi to come for whatever reason, he'd get to his master pretty quickly, or at least call for backup while they waited.

Hara accepted her new guardian and thanked him for his generosity. Really, the man just knew how to fully take care of a person.

With her gentle giant in tow, Hara made a second attempt to get to her realtor's office. The trip seemed endless as her companion did nothing to deter their eyes, or sultry words. Still, no one approached her, or "accidentally" bumped into her, and such a small difference made the civilian feel somewhat relieved.

"I am so sorry for the way such a terrible story has affected you."

Hara sat across from Meng, and gave her the best smile she could muster. Any kind of understanding, even from someone who was probably doing it for her own benefit, was good enough for Hara at this point.

"I came hoping to talk about selling the store."

Meng cleared her throat, and pushed her short, black hair back. "I've been investigating this," she said, her youthful eyes heavy with disappointment. "And it's just not looking good. The rumors have really damaged the little reputation you had, and considering you refuse to use her father's name, I just don't see the building selling anytime soon."

Hara felt her heart in her stomach. It seemed life wasn't done making her pay. "Is there anything that can be done? Any ideas you may have, I'd welcome anything short of a major selling loss."

Keyword here being "major". She'd still take an appropriate loss if it ensured she'd be getting out of here soon.

"The only solution I could come up with was to have your father buy the property."

Hara tilted her head. _Damn_ …

"With his name attached to the building, and his team of experts taking care of the business itself, your clientele will surely return and patch things up. After a month or so of successful management, he could sell the business back to you, if you managed to fix the rumors, or he could sell it forward if you planned to move out of town."

 _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!_

There was just no escaping these two overwhelming shadows. It's like they worked together to strip her of any self worth.

"And there's nothing else for me to do?"

She'd take that major loss. At least then she could do it on her own.

Meng shook her head. "I'm still asking around my clientele to see if anyone is interested, but as of now, this was the most business savvy."

Hara tightened her hold on the leather leash. "What about my apartment?"

The older woman sighed, pushing her silk like tresses back into position. "That's another problematic little thing," she admitted. "Again, you could go the same route. Your father buys, keeps it for a bit, and then resells it."

Hara didn't want to hear any of this, but she expected it. She wasn't naive enough to come here thinking she'd get all good news, but at least she hoped for a glimmer of hope.. Anything. She felt Bull nuzzle up to her leg, and she gave him a quick pet before standing up.

Just like his master, her protector just knew when she needed a little comfort.

"Thank you for everything Meng."

The realtor stood up, and straightened her red jacket. "I'll call you if anything changes."

Hara nodded, her mind already wandering into what she could use as a plan B.

{*15*}

The smell of flowers and herbs stuck to Kakashi's nose as he stepped out of the cramped store space that Ino rented out while her regular store received its finishing touches. He lowered his mask, just under his nose, and let his senses enjoy the milder, much more sparsely allocated scents that made up his hometown. He felt his sense perk up, and even the sunny afternoon managed to help decongest his nostrils as the warm rays penetrated under his paltry attire.

However, such a relaxing moment failed to thrive for the jonin. Ino didn't have much information regarding the rumors about Hara, and if the future head of the Yamanaka clan didn't have a source by now, then this issue went a lot deeper than he expected.

Even she thought it was brutal, but the fact that that it was a close friend, with picture proof?

" _Yikes_!"

He sighed.

She hadn't been spreading anything out of respect for him though, and Kakashi truly appreciated it. The lively kunoichi still knew a small chain that led to her, and she gave him a detailed list of names that could get him more information. It was a start, and at least he felt he landed on a road to somewhere.

"You seem really interested in getting to the bottom of this rumor, Kakashi-san."

The jonin hadn't noticed the young man's presence until he stood right before him. Kakashi remained cool, and observant. His chakra felt familiar, but the green hair and large brown eyes, didn't look like anyone that earned a spot in his memory. His scent didn't stir anything in him either.

"Would you like to contribute to my little investigation?"

He was definitely a foreigner, his accent told Kakashi so, but the plainness of his clothes made it hard to pinpoint a specific location. All black, even the thick scarf wrapped around the bottom portion of his face.

"I can get you to the source, if you'd like."

His eyes widened, a sight that tickled the giddy young man.

"Under what circumstances?"

As much as his nerves wanted to rattle and shake him, Kakashi needed to keep his mind centered. He needed to verify the legitimacy of such a statement.

"That we live."

The young man dug his hands inside his large pockets, and began swaying slowly.

Kakashi's brow rose. "Live?"

He nodded. "Big Sister wants to make sure you won't kill her once you see her."

The jonin scoffed. "She's involved in this?"

The younger man nodded. "We needed to get your attention-"

 _Fuck_!

"Well you have it!"

Kakashi breathed out as a group of civilians slowed to witness whatever had caused such an outburst.

"Take me to her. She'll live," he promised. " _ **If**_ she can fix this."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Certainly she can," he laughed. "Here."

The crowd dissipated, leaving the men alone again, but Kakashi had stopped caring the moment the green haired boy extended his hand.

"They're the pictures we used to create the fake ones." He leaned closer to Kakashi. His fingers ghosting over the rumor spreading friend that supposedly came to divulge this information. "That's me under transformation."

Kakashi sighed. Of course Big Sister had to be involved in this. "Let's go."

"My name is Satoru," he finally introduced himself.

Kakashi didn't care, following his annoyingly cheerful steps as quietly as possible.

Satoru smiled. "It's ok, we don't have to be friends. We just need to agree to work together."

Kakashi grunted.

"You help Ley with her mission, and I don't harm your girlfriend. That sounds fair, right, Kakashi-san?"


	16. Irrational

_**Irrational**_

A wispy cloud replaced Satoru's body before Kakashi had a chance to wrap his fingers around the youth's neck. His sandals dug into the moist ground as he struggled to come to a halt, and he didn't bother taking a spare second to find proper balance before finishing the last step towards the dissipating smoke. A neatly folded paper waited for him, and he felt the blood boil through his trembling fingers as he reached for it.

If they so much as touched one of Hara's curls, he'd torture them for a week before murdering them in the most painful way he knew how.

"The girl is safe."

She fell from the peeling branches of a naked tree with a subdued, and familiar elegance. Her black boots didn't disturb the ground beneath her, but like the rest of her dark attire, she stood out amongst the white winter wonderland surrounding them.

He flared his chakra, but her expression remained passive, and serene.

"Satoru is tailing her to ensure my safety," she proceeded, her mature voice betraying the youthfulness of her face. "Come to that meeting spot, we'll talk, and everything will be fine. You harm me in any way, or I feel threatened, and the lookalike will answer for your indiscretions."

Kakashi didn't wait for the smoke to settle before speeding down the road again. He hadn't read the paper, but there was only one village in this direction, and at the moment he needed to use up some of the overflowing adrenaline prickling through his system. His skin burned, his vision blurred, and he no longer felt secure guaranteeing Big Sister's safety.

No matter how well prepared they were by making Hara their pawn, they sure as hell didn't understand his hatred of civilians being used in such a manner. They were the scum of the earth in his eyes, and the first chance he got, he'd kill them.

Crowded streets, and small buildings with simple decorative banners, blossomed in his field of vision. He stood in the middle of the road allowing the overwhelming aroma of soups, and hot drinks to work their way through his numb body, as he began to identify his current location. Slowly he stepped forward, his eyes steady on each road name so as to not lose himself through the confusing traveling network offered by such a popular tourist spot.

The address led the jonin to a low budget inn on the outskirts of the main road, the likes of which didn't surprise him in the least. This was where shady characters did their business, where moaning, groaning, and wall slamming made up the everyday rhythm. Even the receptionist couldn't bother to look up from his lotto board as Kakashi entered, nor did he care when he made his way up the stairs towards room 337.

Big Sister left the door open, and Kakashi didn't question such a risky move. Either she was more powerful than every person in this place, or she sensed his approach and prepared accordingly. It didn't matter, for at that moment, **he** was definitely more powerful than her.

"Have a seat."

The same familiar figure who greeted him outside of Konoha gestured towards the chair across from her, where the rays of sun from the broken curtain made their biggest impact.

"I prefer standing."

She shook her head, and Kakashi realized that the first child had been spot on when describing her voluminous head of hair.

"You feel more hostile when you're standing," she said. "Just sit. It'll be a short conversation."

Kakashi sighed. He didn't come here to argue about such a trivial thing. "What do you want?"

"Your help solving an iss-"

"And you couldn't find a way to get me that didn't involve putting her in danger?"

Ley sucked her teeth. "There's a very real possibility that Yuna is alive, and all you care about is some lookalike?"

Kakashi sat back carefully. The chair could barely sustain his weight, it would surely break if he added an angry outburst to the mix.

"How sure are you?"

" **Very** sure," she replied. "And I thought you'd be interested in helping considering you cared so much for her."

He sighed, running both hands down his face. This didn't sound real.

"But you don't even recognize me," she continued, "and here I went through all this trouble to keep me safe, thinking you'd kill me on sight if you ever saw me."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, and widened within a second. He'd been too angry to properly absorb her looks, but… "You were the runway."

Ley lifted her arms in mock praise to the sky. "Took you long enough," she groaned at the spider web covered ceiling that greeted her instead.

"I see…"

That's why she met him outside the village, and why the other boy probably did her dirty work within Konoha. She was a missing nin, one with a "Kill on Sight" order hanging from her neck. She was right to have taken all those precautions before meeting him. Had she gotten him before involving Hara, he would've certainly murdered her before she had a chance to even say a word.

 **She** was the reason Yuna was dead, and his hatred for that traitor was only being held back by a very thin strip of patience.

"Yuna's death, and that of five other girls, was planned."

Kakashi breathed out. "What are you talking about?"

"Exactly what you heard," she continued. "They were all sold off, and I just need you to see the proof that I have. I even left Yuna for last because I was hoping you'd come and see first hand what happens to these girls."

The jonin swallowed nervously. "You… You know where Yuna is?"

"I know who bought her," she admitted. "But I'm not completely certain on her current status. Out of the six girls I hunted down, I found four were alive, and still property. One led me to a dead end, and Yuna is my last mission."

 _Four were alive_ … The numbers were certainly in their favor. Kakashi felt his muscles tense as another wave of nerves embraced him.

"I can explain everything," Ley offered. "And with your influence on the Hokage, as well as other government officials, we can put a stop to this. But I need to make sure you're going to help. I need to make sure you're an ally."

"Leave Hara out of this, and I'll help with whatever you need."

If what she said was true, if all the work she put in to get his attention was because of this, then he had no choice but to help. People were being sold, and there was a possibility that Yuna was alive…

"I'm going to need the lookalike as security," Ley informed. "Plus, it'll keep motivating you to finish helping me."

"Hara has nothing-"

"If we find Yuna alive, she'll be back in the village, and the rumors will die. If we find out she died, you'll have records of her real death, and everyone will know that the Situ family had nothing to do with this. Either way, you helping me, also helps the lookalike."

She didn't leave anything up to fate, and Kakashi could appreciate such a level of professionalism. Even if she still stirred a healthy amount of anger inside of him, she had him locked on every side.

"Fine."

He'd help. For Yuna, for Hara, for his sanity.

{*16*}

Kakashi landed on the railing of the balcony with enough force to give the metal a noticeable dent. Had it not been for the rain coating the surface, the jonin was sure he could have easily broken the whole thing on impact. He stepped off quietly, the beating of his nervous heart slowing down as the sight beyond the crystal doors differed greatly from the one conjured by his wild imagination.

Hara wasn't in danger, at least at the moment with her head resting on a tranquil Bull, and with Pakkun lazily thrown over her belly, she didn't look it. The rest of his ninken claimed couch spots, and entire blankets, one even going as far as sleeping in her bed.

Kakashi sighed. He couldn't even yell at them for doing all the things he trained them not to do in a home. Whether they were here resting after protecting her from an earlier danger, or simply taking advantage of her naïveté towards their tricky puppy dog eyes, at least she was safe.

His fingers felt numb as he rubbed his eyes, but the cold wrapped around his skin served as the perking jolt he needed at the moment. In his hurry to see why his summons surrounded Hara, and if the Satoru guy kept his word about not harming her, Kakashi hadn't done the best job at chakra distribution, and now his hands paid the price.

The door slid open as a crafty Bull and Pakkun worked their flawless teamwork to let their owner in.

"Started raining out of nowhere," Pakkun noted stepping off his larger accomplice.

They both watched as Hara scurried towards her room.

"Yeah."

Kakashi appreciated his long time companion wanting to stick around making small talk while Hara dug through her closet for a towel, but he really didn't have much to say back. His mind was still busy trying to understand the earlier happenings of the day.

"Bull noticed a figure lingering outside, and called for us to hang around," he continued. "Nothing happened. Was just precaution."

The jonin sighed. At least he felt good about who he chose to protect her.

"Thanks a lot for coming."

Pakkun nodded, and stepped aside as the human female approached.

"Is something the matter?" Hara didn't mean to greet him so coldly, and she really hoped that bringing out her best towels would portray this, but the inner paranoid in her had plenty of reasons to be acting up during this ordeal. They were still supposed to stay away from each other, and him letting her borrow Bull hadn't done enough good in her life to dissuade the townsfolk from their childish treatment.

Kakashi draped the smaller towel over his head, and dried around his neck with the larger one. "I'll make it a quick visit," he assured.

He removed his sandals by the entrance, and watched as she set another piece for him on her couch. Shiba nuzzled up to him instantly, and Kakashi ran a hand through his warm fur.

"I wanted to come to you when I got a solid answer to your problem, but I got a promising lead, so I thought maybe it would give you some peace of mind to know."

Hara sat down slowly, as if his words clashed with her mind's ability to multitask. "Really?" She smiled, and bit down nervously on her thumbnail. "You've been investigating?"

Kakashi nodded, setting his gaze on the lazy pup next to him. "Of course." He flashed her a brief smile, careful not to let his eyes linger on her form. "And it should be resolved soon."

"How- How soon?"

He didn't have an exact timeframe. After agreeing to help Ley, she sent him on his way while she found somewhere else to stay, and updated her partner on the current situation. Kakashi didn't care, he wanted to get to Hara as soon as possible, and make sure that Satoru boy hadn't touched her. Ley assured him she'd find him when she was ready to speak again. However, now that he had their signatures memorized, Kakashi would be going to her promptly whether they liked it or not.

"Depends," he admitted. "But it's a start."

And coming at the perfect time too. Her parents would be in town soon, and she needed a little something to reassure them that she could handle this. Oh she could kiss that man!

"So, what do you know?"

He loved seeing her this eager. The way she did her best to sit still, but ultimate failed, and just that trusting sparkle in her eyes that reminded him that she didn't blame him as much as he blamed himself.

"The photographs are fake, I saw the real ones used to create them."

Hara nodded. "That's great, so can we just show people that? Fake photographs, fake friend, fake story."

"Not necessarily." Her smile dampened, and he continued before the incoming worry set in. "People are more likely to believe that the originals are the fake, and are being used to clean up your name."

Her eyes drifted to the floor, and he felt the heavy burden of her disappointment deep within him. She nodded after a moment, and gathered her knees to her chest as if to comfort herself.

"So, what else is there to do?"

Kakashi hadn't thought of exactly how he would explain this to her in his rush to verify her safety. He knew that he couldn't release many details, both because she wouldn't understand Ley's background, and because even though the missing nin hadn't actually explained much to him, the jonin knew the vast majority of the story would be made up of classified information. Still, he hoped to convey a clear enough answer. Just enough to make her smile again.

"I'm going to investigate Yuna's death."

Her, "Oh," didn't exude much enthusiasm.

"There's a possibility that she may be alive, and if that's the case, bringing back proof will clear your name very easily."

Hara's eyes widened in mild surprise. "That's really…Something."

He nodded quietly. She wasn't good at hiding her emotions, and even though she tried, her lack of practice left them written all over her face. She thought he was doing this for himself, to satisfy some type of lingering feelings for his former lover. In a way her thesis was correct, he couldn't deny toying with the overwhelming curiosity for Yuna's real fate. He still cared about her, and he hadn't taken the time to asses how he felt about the possibility of her being alive.

"Even if she's not," he continued. "Bringing proof of her actual death will work just the same."

However, Kakashi wanted more than anything to let the civilian know that he was doing this as much for her as he was for himself. Maybe if he would have taken the time to mention the start of his investigation during their last meeting, she would've given him more credit.

"I see."

Her words still sat dully on her lips, and Kakashi decided to forego his desire to see her celebrate with a little more vigor. The important part was still dispelling the story, and he needed to let go of the idea that coming off as a hero would aid in his childish fantasy to continue their relationship.

She tried smiling. "Thank you though, I really appreciate you working on this." A lackluster, pretty obviously trying too hard, type of smile that fooled no one.

Her rational mind clung to his words and spun them so clearly in her head. She should have been jumping with joy at the announcement of such a perfectly simply solution.

He stood up. "I'll come visit when I have more news."

But her irrational mind was a dangerous thing, and overpowered logic with brutal accuracy.

"Sounds good."

 _So what if he was doing this for Yuna_? Her rational mind wondered. Finding a solution to this problem should've still been her priority, no matter how it got done.

She followed him to the door and watched him slip on his sandals. Kakashi turned and waved shyly, before disappearing into the downpour just as quickly as he'd shown up. Hara closed the balcony door, but she stood in her spot taking in the leftovers from the winter cold that sneaked in.

 _Well… His words… His actions… They made me feel good before he mentioned her_ … But now he was doing this for Yuna, and she felt…

Hara shook her head as logic dug out from the pile of heavy feelings. _It shouldn't matter, you're leaving as soon as he's done._

And once she was gone, far away from his perfect influence, she couldn't wait to start thinking straight again. Jealousy just wasn't a game she liked to play.

{*16*}

Hara didn't bother to check whether the door to the private dining area fully closed as she sprinted inside the room with all the enthusiasm she could muster. Her parents stood up, quickly accepting their oldest offspring in their arms, while their younger daughter yawned at the touching moment. Miho didn't even bother reprimanding Alma for such rudeness, she knew the younger of the two just wasn't very concerned with what she deemed as "trivial feelings."

"You've gotten thinner," her father noted taking in the image of a maroon lace dress that didn't fit as snugly as it should have.

Miho nudged her husband, but Hara waved them off. "I'm hungry today," she admitted. "So order away."

Kazuo Situ nodded enthusiastically, tucking a blue cloth inside the chest pocket of his gray suit.

They sat around the table, and discussed some pleasantries while Alma took care of making their extended order. Her father had also gotten thin, and adding the expanding gray hair her mother sported these days, it made them look more like siblings than a married couple. Kazuo laughed and toyed with his neatly trimmed mustache, he hoped to gain his jolly belly back soon, the patriarch joked. And suddenly that seemingly innocent statement, created the necessary bridge into the real reason for this meeting.

The waiter poured the last of the tea, and left the room as if he too was aware of the route that would be taken.

"It seems we both forget to eat when our business isn't performing."

Sure her reasoning had to do with her carelessness, and his with unavoidable circumstances brought on post war, but Hara understood he wanted to comfort her by suggesting their struggles were a normal part of life

"I'm already looking into ways of fixing things," she assured her father. Though how much she could do on her own, was still unclear.

Kazuo nodded, picking up the ceramic cup. "You know you're always welcomed back home." He sipped the liquid, and cringed at the inadequate temperature. "I have people who can easily take care of this."

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

She picked up her own cup, just as her father placed his on the lilac saucer. "Ok," he smiled. "I just wanted you to know that the option is there for you."

Hara tasted the sweet peach tea, unbothered by the burning trail left in her tongue. If she could focus on that, she didn't have enough room in her mind to think about how embarrassing it felt to have her father offer to save her from her own mess… Again.

"Well, we're also here for something else," Miho cheered, to Hara's delight.

She liked the sound of talking about "something else." Something far away from her failures, and her inability to fix them.

Alma cleared her throat, and excused herself to make a call.

"Your father and I have been friends with the Ikeda family for," she waved a hand smiling up at the painting in the ceiling. "Twenty, maybe thirty years?"

Kazuo nodded at the estimate. He grabbed a scone, and busied himself with the treat.

"Well, we spent a few days up there before coming down here, and we got to see their son, Hiro."

Hara placed the cup to her lips again. This should have been expected. They had a backup plan since the inception of her little venture in Konoha, and it seemed they needed to implement it right away. So they weren't done talking about her failures. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"Alma told me about him."

Miho's pink lips widened. "Right, he is a wonderful young man."

 _Hiro and my husband haven't spoken in almost five years, due to this Yuna person. Their rift has gotten so bad that he would rather leave our company to some stranger, rather than take up his rightful position as a leader._

"And he thinks you're pretty wonderful as well."

 _She was a mistress my husband bought. Young woman, former kunoichi, very talented in the arts of performing. Just wonderful all around._

Hara nodded. "I see."

Miho took a deep breath, and eyed her husband for some support. Kazuo cleared his throat and swallowed the last of the scone.

"He saw a picture of you, and thinks you're just absolutely stunning."

... _So beautiful that both my husband, and son fell in love with her. Both proclaimed that she was in love with the other, however she belonged to my husband, and there was no arguing that._

"You want me to meet him, is that it?"

Miho leaned closer to the table, her brown eyes glistening with the same intensity as her diamond earrings. "Well, he would really love to get to know you, Hara."

 _Hiro saw a picture of your daughter, and the similarities are, and pardon my word Miho dear, but the similarities are scary. They look identical, I thought they were twins._

"And maybe giving him a chance wouldn't be such a terrible idea," her father proposed.

 _My son thinks that this may be the universe finally giving him a chance to be with the woman he loves, and he promised that if he could marry your daughter, he'd come back to the family and take care of the company as the rightful heir._

"Would the idea interest you?" Miho spoke gently, in the same loving tone that got her daughter back to bed during restless nights, and eating vegetables even when they weren't steamed right.

Hara hesitated. "I mean, I guess?"

 _Now, I know your company is suffering some setbacks, and we've been quite hardheaded in these negotiations. But if you're daughter agrees to this, we'll accept the terms that have been given to us now._

Kazuo smiled, trying the tea again. "It'll do you good to have a little distraction, and you know," he shrugged. "Having our daughter be in a committed relationship is something to be very proud of. Lord knows Alma won't be giving us grandchildren anytime soon."

 _Once word gets out about us working together, your investors should be happy, and once we send out the wedding invitations, you'll have a new flock of people wanting to throw money your way._

"I'll think about it." Hara did her best to smile as genuinely as her parents were.

She'd been such a headache to them with her stupid ventures, and irresponsible way of handling things. Not to mention being an absolute failure compared to her younger sibling… Taking in their suggestion seemed like the least she could do.

 _Don't even get me started on what they'll do once the first heir is born._

Maybe her place was in a quiet home, raising children, and leading a simple life like her own mother.

 _It'll do you good to convince her. The faster, the better._

"Think about it," Miho smiled, stirring a cube of sugar into her tea. "You're not getting any younger, Hara."

Kazuo sighed, and stood up. "I have to go see what's taking Alma so long."

They watched the tall figure of Kazuo Situ stroll across the room, before Miho decided to fill the space with some more idle chatter. Hara nodded away, encouraging her mother with a few remarks of her own to keep things lively. Anything to steer clear of the earlier two topics. She needed a break.

{*16*}

Ley made good on her promise, and the next day Kakashi found himself in another low cost inn sitting across from the missing nin. The round, wooden table and plastic chairs didn't fit with the seriousness stuffing the room, but no one dared bring up the shabby decor. Kakashi didn't have the mind to lighten the mood with jokes about the lack of taste in such heavy, orange curtains, mostly because he introduced the somber mood to begin with.

Satoru's clone sat on a corner bed, an open books on his lap, and a warm drink clasped between his fingers. His companion cleared her throat, wrapping her fingers around her own drink.

"I don't think you're interested in the fun stories of a double agent, so I'll just cut straight to it."

Kakashi nodded, observing her through the thin sheet of steam rising from his tea. "I'd appreciate that."

She sat back on her chair, the chain mail over her black top catching the dull light of the sun quite nicely. "My main alliance was Root. Danzo trained me from infancy, and gave me the freedom to choose a department to infiltrate. I chose Tact because it felt easier."

Danzo gave her enough freedom to choose her own division. A powerful declaration if he ever heard one. Usually the old man had his pawn's life planned out from the moment he set eyes on them. It helped feed into his God complex.

"It took me seven years of service, but Emi began to trust me as her right hand. Along with the privilege came a lot of dirty work. She liked to call me the Grim Reaper, and I'm not just saying that to disregard our previous agreement to leave out fun facts."

Kakashi understood. "You killed your own comrades."

"Just on papers," she shrugged, tapping a long purple fingernail against the side of her styrofoam cup. "Useless merchandise, she liked to call them, worth more dead than alive."

He sighed, setting his eyes on the umber liquid with little stalks floating about.

Kakashi knew Emi to be quite tough, she didn't like nonsense, and she fired people at the slightest sign of weakness. Her division was flawless, it's why she felt so betrayed by the government's refusal to grant her more of a budget to work with. At least that's what she liked to say...

Ley disregarded the discomfort in his face. "She always complained about Tact being underappreciated, and underfunded. In her mind, her division was a huge part of the reason so many other missions could get accomplished, and they deserved all the money they could get."

She knew he wouldn't take this slightly. So many years of faithful servitude, and here came a stranger, whom he hated, to tell him the motherly figure whose hands still showed the scars from saving her comrades, was actually a monster.

"Emi also believed, that if the government wouldn't give them what they needed, then she would just get it from where she could, and no one had a right to complain. If the people who generously donated to her and funded such a vital part of ANBU, asked for a few extra favors, she would gladly do it. After all, being a member of ANBU meant these kids signed up to give their life for their country. And even though they weren't dying when sold, they were still fulfilling that aspect of their contractual agreement."

Kakashi sipped the drink between his fingers, the scalding liquid leaving a painful trail down his tongue. He needed alcohol, but this would do.

"Useless Merchandise referred to people who had acquired too much information, and who were a threat to the important people who hired them. Most of them wanted these girls killed, however she came up with a way to give them one last good use. For a negotiable price, Emi would give them a textbook death, that she guaranteed wouldn't be questioned by anyone. Once the job was done, the person would be transferred to their buyer, with a Chakra Clasp, and they could do with these girls what they pleased."

"I thought those were illegal."

Well, not that there was much legality to the rest of the story, but Kakashi had to wonder where in the world Emi would get access to such a device? The ones retrieved from Orochimaru's lab were destroyed as soon as the Third Hokage realized the dangers of long term chakra suppression. Was someone else making them? Did Orochimaru actually have involvement in this plot as well?

Ley waved him off. Using a Chakra Clasp to leave these people in a semi permanent weakened state was just the half of it. "Most of them also asked for a Memory Clip, which targeted specific memories to be erased."

His mouth fell prey to the tantalizing information, and Kakashi couldn't help as it gaped widely. Weakened people with hand picked memories to based their life off? This went beyond just selling human beings, this counted as torture.

"The masters pay through seemingly random donations which are also tax deductible, so technically the government covers their purchase. Emi gets her funding, her clients get a new toy. Any questions?"

Kakashi didn't have the right words to say. He had so much to communicate, but the broken sentences floated in his mind like a turbulent stream after a storm. He trusted Emi, wholeheartedly, blindly.

Ley scoffed, taking a large gulp. She knew this was news to him, but knowing Emi for so long, the former kunoichi couldn't sympathize with his feelings of shock. This was Emi, the real one.

"The girls she sold were all textbook ANBU orphans with no social life. Their deaths were nothing to look into, their funerals empty of a grieving soul. That's why I need you. You cared about Yuna, you grieved her death, you can put a stop to this."

Author's Note: This is the first part of the explanation, so there is still more information to be disclosed. Any questions, feel free to ask :) Thank you for reading, and taking the time to comment!


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